LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAICN 


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AVIEW  Ji^JimC^L 

C^UU*/QU1A 

INCLUDING  yA 

SOME  OBSERVATIONS  ^}t4f 


MINERALOGY,  GEOLOGY,  GEOGRAPHY 

ANTIQUITIES,    SOIL,-  CLIMATE,    POPULATION, 

AND  PRODUCTIONS 


OP 


MISSOURI  AND  ARKANSAW, 


OTHER  SECTIONS  OF  THE  WESTERN  COUNTRY 


ACCOMPANIED  BY  THREE  ENGRAVINGS 


BY  HENRY  R.  SCHOOLCRAFT, 

GRRESP0ND1SG   MEMBER  OF   THE   LYCEUM    OF   NATURAL    HISTORY,    Of 

NEW-TORK. 

■  Cg)g>®-:*:-<S><50g>» 

NEW- YORK: 

VCBLISHED   BY    CHARLES    WILEV   $'   CO.    NO.   3   WALL-5TRE  l    . 

J.  Seymour,  printer. 

1819. 


Southern  District  of  Ntrv-  fork,  sa. 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  That  on  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  November,  in  the  fortv- 
<"ourth  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  of  America,  HENRY  fi. 
SCHOOLCRAFT,  of  the  said  District,  hath  deposited  in  this  Office  the  title  of  a  Book, 
the  right  whereof  he  claims  as  Author,  in  the  words  following,  to  wit: — 

"  A  View  of  the  Lead  Mines  of  Missouri;  including  some  observations  on  the  Mine 
ralogy,  Geology.  Geography,  Antiquities,  Soil,  Climate,  Population,  and  Productions  o!' 
Missouri  and  Arkansan,  and  other  sections  of  the  Western  Country.     Accompanied  by 
three  Engravings.    By  Henry  R.  Schoolcraft,  corresponding  memberof  theLyceumof 
Natural  History  of  New-York." 

In  conformity  to  the  Act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  entitled  "  An  Act  for 
the  encouragement  of  Learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Charts,  and  Books,  to 
the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during  the  time  therein  mentioned."  And 
also  to  an  Act,  entitled  "  an  Act,  supplementary  to  an  Act,  entitled  an  Act  for  the  en- 
couragement of  Learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Charts,  and  Books,  to  the 
authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned,  and  ex- 
tending the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arts  of  designing,  engraving,  and  etching  historical 
and  other  prints." 

GILBERT  LIVINGSTON  THOMPSON, 
Clerk  of  the  Southern  District  of  New- Yori; 


*     •      *  •      #    4     • 

TO 

JOHN  G.  BOGERT,  ESQ. 

MEMBER  OF  THE  ANTIQUARIAN  SOCIETY  OF  MASSACHUSETTS  , 

OF  THE 

LITERARY  AND  PHILOSOPHICAL,  AND  OF  THE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  01 

NEW-YORK ; 
RUSSIAN  CONSUL  FOR  THE  STATES  OF  NEW-YORK,  CONNECTICUT  AND 

NEW-JERSEY,  &c. 

THIS  WORK  IS  RESPECTFULLY  INSCRIBED 

BY  THE  AUTHOR, 
IN    TESTIMONY    OF    ESTEEM    FOR   HIS 

CHARACTER 
AS  A  CITIZEN,  AND  A  FRIEND ; 

AND  AS 

A  TRIBUTE  OF  RESPECT 
FOR   HIS   ZEAL   IN  THE   PROMOTION    OF 

ESPECIALLY 

MINERALOGY,  CONCHOLOGY, 

AND  THE  COLLECTION  OF  THE 

EXTRANEOUS  FOSSILS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
OF  AMERICA. 


192938 


»  % 


PREFACE. 

-    WltEN  we  refiect  upon  the  history  of  our  own  country, — th* 
rapidity  witli  which  its  natural  resources  have  heen  developed, — 
its  attainments  in  the  arts  of  civilized  life,  in  commerce,  and  in 
agriculture, — its  increase  in  population,  and  the  progress  of  its 
settlement,  the   mind  is  with  difficulty  brought  to  believe  that 
scarcely  two  centuries  have  elapsed,  since  it  was  the  unmolested 
seat  of  barbarity,  and  intellectual  night.     But  whatever  may 
have  been  our  advances  in  civil  refinement,  mechanical,  and  po- 
lite arts,  useful  inventions,  public  works,  agriculture,  jurispru- 
dence, naval  architecture,  the  endowment  of  literary  institutions, 
and  other  momentous  objects,  evincing  a  matured  state  of  socie- 
tv,  vet,  in  no  respect  is  our  national  growth  so  apparent,  as  in 
the  increased   population,  and  the  astonishing  progress  of  the 
.settlement  of  our  country.     A  new  world  has  recently  been  dis- 
covered within  the  bosom  of  our  land,  and  the  region  west  of  the 
Alleghany  Mountain,  is  already  the  seat  of  legislation,  and  the 
arts  of  civilized  life.     So  rapid  has  been  the  emigration  into  that 
section  of  the  Union,  and  so  sudden  its  transformation  from  bar- 
barism to  refinement,  that  it  seems  rather  the  effect  of  magical 
power,  than  of  human  exertions,  operating  in  the  ordinary  way. 
No  sooner  had  the  fertility  of  the  soil  in  that  region  become  known, 
and  the  advantages  it  presented  to  the  industrious  and  the  enter- 
prising of  all  classes,  than  a  universal  desire  for  emigration  was 
manifested,  and  information  concerning  it  was  sought  after  with 
1he  utmost  avidity.     But  the  first  travellers  who  passed  down 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  did  little  more  than  glance  at  the 
varied  and  extensive  country,  bordering  that  stream.     A  general 
outline  of  its  geographical  features, — of  its  soil  and  climate, — of 
its  extent  and  resources  was,  however,  given,  with  many  interest- 
ing particulars   concerning  its  antiquities,  and  physical  produc- 
tions ;  but  the  detail  has  been  left  as  the  subject  of  succeeding 
inquiry  and  remark.     Much  of  the  information  published  at  an 
early  day,  being  founded  on  an  imperfect  acquaintance  with  the 
country,  has  proved  fallacious,  other  facts  of  moment  have  since, 
been  disclosed  by  the  progress  of  settlement,  and  notwithstanding 
the  appearance  of  several  works  of  merit  concerning  that  country, 
a  wide  field  is  still  left  for  observation  and  research,  both  to  thr 


5 


ia.an  of  business,  ami  the  man  of  science,  and  an  increased  desirt> 
is  manifested  for  further  information.     The  period  has  in  fact 
already  arrived,  when  men  begin  to  seek  for  scientific  and  ele- 
mentary information  on  the  various  subjects  connected  with  the 
vegetable,  animal,  and  mineral  resources  of  that  country, — with 
its   soil  and    climate — its    streams    and  mountains — its   towns 
and  settlements — its  mines  and  minerals — its  trees  and  plants — 
its    antiquities     and    reliqua — its    birds — fishes — insects — rep- 
tiles— animals,  living  and  extinct — the  fossils  imbedded  in  the 
earth — the  physical  constitution  of  its  rocks  and  soils,  and  the 
changes  which  they  have  undergone  from  heat,  air,  water,  light, 
attrition,  and  other  constantly  operating  and  powerful  causes — 
the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere — the  course  of  the  winds — 
the  diseases  prevalent — its  natural  phenomenon,  and  other  mat- 
ters, equally  concerning  the  learned,   and  the  unlearned.     On 
some  of  these  heads,  we  are  already  in  the  possession  of  much 
valuable  information  ;  on  many  of  them  nothing  has  been  written, 
and  all  present  subjects  for  consideration,  replete  with  the  high- 
est interest,  and  intimately  connected  with  the  wants,  comforts, 
happiness,  and  security  of  ourselves  and  our  posterity.     The 
soil,  climate,  population,  and  agricultural  advantages  of  the  wes- 
tern country,  have  been  the  subject  of  frequent  description,  and 
several  meritorious  works  have  been  published  concerning  it. 
Jefferson,  Volney,  Breckenridge,  Darby,  and  Evans,  have  succes- 
sively added  to  our  stock  of  useful  knowledge,  and  contributed 
largely  to  perfect  and  extend  the  sphere  of  our  acquaintance  with 
the  moral,  physical,  and  political  condition  of  that  country,  par- 
ticularly with  regard  to  its  topography,  statistics,  antiquities, 
and  commercial  resources.     But  its  mineralogy  remains  almost 
wholly  unnoticed,  and  we  look  in  vain,  either  for  a  general  out- 
line of  its  mineralogical  character,  or  a  description  of  its  mines. 
Travellers  seem  to  have  hastened  with  so  eager  a  pace,  in  the  ex- 
ploration of  its  fertile  fields  and  extensive  prairies,  and  to  have 
been  so  completely  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  its  bold 
geographical  outlines,  and  the  interminable  length  of  its  river?, 
that  they  have  entirely  overlooked  the  humble,  but  not  less  at- 
tractive minerals,  by  which  it  is  so  strongly  characterized.     The 
mines  of  Missouri,  especially,  have  failed  to  attract  the  considera- 
tion which   they  merit. — Breckenridge    has,  indeed,  given  us 
some  interesting  details  on  the  subject ;  but  the  value  of  what  he 
has  written,  is  not  uniform  ;   much  of  the  information  given,  is 


vague  or  hypothetical,  and  upon  the  whole,  he  stops  short  of  the 
desired  point.  Schultz  wrote  nothing-  of  value  on  the  subject, 
Austin's  pamphlet  was  the  most  valuable  document  of  its  time, 
but  being  written  for  a  specific  purpose,  is  not  sufficiently  diffuse 
in  regard  to  the  situation  and  extent  of  the  mines,  method  of 
working,  &c.  Stoddart,  too  much  inclined  to  credulity,  did  not 
always  write  from  personal  observation,  and  many  of  his  conclu- 
sions are  drawn  from  assumed  premises.  We  are,  therefore,  still 
in  want  of  a  detailed  account  of  the  mines,  the  extent  and  quali- 
ty of  the  ore,  the  character  of  the  accompanying  minerals,  the 
methods  of  mining,  the  nature  of  the  contiguous  country,  its 
character,  value,  population,  and  resources,  its  advantages  for 
water-mills  and  manufactories,  the  facilities  it  affords  by  its 
streams  for  internal  navigation,  with  other  facts  necessary  in  es- 
timating the  collective  value  and  importance  of  those  mines.  A 
want  of  information  is  also  felt  in  regard  to  the  physical  history 
of  the  western  country,  particularly  its  minerals,  fossils,  geology, 
antiquities,  &c.  To  supply  this  deficiency,  I  have  written  the 
following  work,  in  which  I  have  endeavoured  to  present  a  con- 
densed body  of  facts  in  a  small  compass,  and  in  a  plain  way, 
omitting  the  introduction  of  technical  phraseology,  in  all  instan- 
ces where  it  was  consistent  with  the  utility  or  perspicuity  of  de- 
scription. 

What  I  have  written  on  these  subjects,  is  the  result  of  personal 
observation,  during  a  tour  through  the  states  and  territories  west 
of  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  performed  in  the  years  1818  and 
1819,  including  a  year's  residence  in  Missouri  Territory.  In 
passing  down  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  I  embraced  every  op- 
portunity to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  mineralogical  character 
of  the  country,  and  have  been  enabled  to  form  a  considerable 
collection  of  ores,  spars,  fossils,  Sec.  illustrative  of  its  physical 
geography,  and  natural  resourses.  A  catalogue  of  these  will  be 
found  in  the  ensuing  pages.  To  acquire  information  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  mines,  I  visited  them,  and  fixed  my  residence  there. 
I  have  made  a  personal  examination  of  every  mine  of  consequence, 
with  a  view  to  ascertain  its  g-eneral  character  and  value,  and  its 
peculiarities.  I  have  travelled  on  foot  over  the  whole  mine  coun- 
try, exploring  its  minerals,  its  geological  structure,  its  geographi- 
cal position,soil,  climate,  productions,  towns,  streams,  settlements, 
and  whatever  else  appeared  to  me  to  be  necessary  to  describe. 


explain,  and  illustrate  the  subject  before  me.  If,  therefore,  I  have 
failed  to  collect  a  body  of  facts  worthy  public  approbation,  it  can 
neither  be  attributed  to  a  want  of  industry,  or  a  want  of  oppor- 
tunity. 

The  historical  facts  recorded  respecting  Renault's  operations, 
have  never  before  appeared  in  print.  They  were  elicited  in  the 
course  of  a  legal  investigation,  recently  instituted  between  the 
heirs  at  law  of  Renault  and  sundry  individuals,  who  claimed  the 
lands  in  Missouri  and  Illinois,  granted  to  him,  A.  D.  1723,  in 
consideration  of  his  services.  During  these  inquiries,  many  facts 
hitherto  unknown  respecting  the  early  history  of  Louisiana,  were 
brought  to  light ;  and  some  new  matter  has  been  drawn  from  the 
obscurity  of  private  life,  both  in  France  and  America,  which 
completely  developes  the  views,  and  transactions  of  that  day.  Of 
this  information,  I  have  been  presented  with  an  opportunity  to 
avail  myself,  through  the  friendship  and  politeness  of  those  per- 
sons, in  whose  possession  the  original  papers,  documents,  and 
certificates  remain. 

The  drawings  I  give  of  the  lead  furnaces,  are  from  actual 
measurement,  done  under  the  eye,  and  corrected  by  an  operative 
builder  of  approved  skill  at  Potosi,  and  are  conceived  to  be  mi- 
nutely correct. 

Henry  R.  Schoolcraft. 

New-York ,  Ibth  Nov.  1819. 


CONTENTS. 


PART   FIRST. 

A  View  of  the  Lead  Mines  of  Missouri . 

page 

Sec.  1.     Historical  Sketch  of  the  Mines,    9 

Sec.  2.     General  Outline  of  the  Mine  Country, 26 

Sec.  3.     Of  the  different  Mines,  Ores,  and  accompany- 
ing Minerals,   64 

Sec.  4.     Method  of  working  the  Mines, 90 

Sec.  5.     Annual  Produce,  and  number  of  Men  employed,  ..113 
Sec.  6.     On  the  uses  of  Lead, -. 134 


PART  SECOND. 

Observations  on  the  Mineralogy,  Geology,  Geography,  ifc.  of 
the  Western  Country. 

page 

Art.  1.     Geographical  Outline  of  Missouri  Territory, . . .  .151 

Art.  2.     A  Catalogue  of  the  Minerals  of  the  Western 

Country, 177 

Art.  3.     Journal  of  a  Voyage  up  the  Mississippi  River, . . .  .221 

Art.  4.     Topographical  account  of  White  River, 246 

Art.  5.    Miscellaneous  Information, ,   .  .258 


PART   I. 

A  VIEW  OF  THE  LEAD  MINES  OF  MISSOURI. 


SECTION  I. 

Historical  Sketch  of  the  Mines. 

The  rage  for  adventures,  which  the  brilliant  ex- 
ploits of  Pizarro,  Cortez,  and  other  Spanish  ad- 
venturers, had  excited  throughout  Europe,  conti- 
nued for  a  long  time  to  agitate  the  public  mind ; 
and  had  not  abated  at  the  commencement  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  when  an  idea  of  the  mineral 
riches  of  Louisiana  had  become  prevalent.  Gold 
and  silver  were  then  the  chief  objects  which  en- 
grossed attention ;  and  in  search  of  them,  the  ear- 
liest discoverers  were  led  to  penetrate  into  the  in- 
terior. The  physical  aspect  of  the  country  was 
in  general  such  as  to  natter  the  most  sanguine  ex- 
pectations of  mineral  wealth;  and  the  further 
the  country  became  known,  the  more  interest- 
ing was  found  its  mineralogical  character.  To 
men  whose  pre-conceived  ideas  of  a  country 
were  already  high,  such  appearances  must  have 
had  the  most  inspiriting  effect,  and  lightened  the 
embarrassments  they  encountered  in  exploring  a 
wilderness.  Many  of  the  useful  metals  were  thus 
met  with,  and  gold  and  silver  mines  were  reported 
to  have  born  discovered  in  several  places.     Red 

.  2 


10 

River,  the  Arkansaw,  and  the  river  La  Platte  of  the 
Missouri,  were  particularly  mentioned;  and  from 
the  evidence  which  is  daily  afforded  by  the  disco- 
very of  ancient  furnaces,  &c.  there  is  reason  to 
conclude  that  those  metals  were  wrought  at  a  very 
early  period,  and  that  bodies  of  the  ore  still  exist. 
Judging;  from  what  was  found,  they  were  ready  to 
conclude  the  country  exhaustless  in  mines;  and 
the  most  exaggerated  accounts  of  them  appear  to 
have  been  transmitted  to  Europe,  particularly  to 
France,  where  a  lively  interest  was  felt  in  the 
prosperity  of  the  infant  colonies  in  Louisiana  and 
Illinois;  and  in  the  descriptions  published  at  that 
day,  the  lands  are  reputed  to  equal  in  fertility  the 
banks  of  the  Nile,  and  the  mountains  to  vie  with 
the  wealth  of  Peru. 

It  was  in  this  supposition  of  the  immense  wealth 
of  Louisiana,  both  in  the  vegetable  and  mineral 
kingdoms,  that  the  renowned  Mississippi  scheme 
originated,  and  which,  from  the  imposing  charac- 
ter it  was  made  to  assume  under  the  guidance  and 
direction  of  M.  Law,  drew  upon  it  the  eyes,  not 
only  of  France,  but  of  all  Europe,  and  produced 
one  of  the  most  memorable  disappointments  re- 
corded in  the  annals  of  commercial  specula- 
tion. 

Louis  XIV,  by  letters  patent,  bearing  date  Sep- 
tember 14th,A.D.  1712,  granted  to  Anthony  Crozat, 
Counsellor. of  State,  Secretary  of  the  Household, 
&c.  the  exclusive  privilege  of  commerce  of  that 
district  of  country,  now  known  as  the  States  of 
Louisiana,  Mississippi.  Tennessee,  and  Illinois, 
and  the   Territories  of  Missouri  and  Arkansaw. 


11 

with  the  propriety  of  the  mines  and  minerals  he- 
should  discover  in  the  country,  reserving  the  fifth 
part  of  all  bullion  of  gold  and  silver,  and  the  one- 
tenth  of  the  produce  of  all  other  mines.  The  ex- 
clusive privilege  of  commerce  was  granted  for  a 
term  of  fifteen  years;  but  the  propriety  of  the 
mines  was  conveyed  in  perpetuity  to  him  and  his 
heirs,  on  the  condition  that  such  mines  and  mine- 
rals should  revert  back  to  the  crown  of  France, 
whenever  the  working  of  them  was  discontinued 
for  three  years  together.  The  bounds  of  Louisi- 
ana, as  granted  to  Crozat,  are  described  in  these 
words: — "  Bounded  by  New  Mexico,  (on  the  west,) 
and  by  the  lands  of  the  English  of  Carolina,  (on  the 
east,)  including  all  the  establishments,ports, havens, 
rivers,  and  principally  the  port  and  haven  of  the 
Isle  of  Dauphine,  heretofore  called  Massaere  ;  the 
river  of  St.  Louis,  heretofore  called  Mississippi, 
from  the  edge  of  the  sea  as  far  as  the  Illinois,  to- 
gether  with  the  river  of  St.  Philip,  heretofore  call- 
ed Ouabache,  (Wabash,)  with  all  the  countries, 
territories,  lakes  within  land,  and  the  rivers  which 
fall  directly  or  indirectly  into  that  part  of  the  river 
of  St.  Louis." 

In  the  month  of  August,  A.  D.  1717,  M.  Crozat 
solicited  permission  to  retrocede  to  the  crown  his 
privilege  of  the  exclusive  commerce  and  the 
mines  of  Louisiana,  which  was  granted  by  an  ar- 
ret of  the  Council  of  State,  during  the  minority  of 
Louis  XV.  In  the  same  month,  letters  patent 
were  granted  by  the  Council  of  the  Regency  to  an 
association  of  individuals  at  Paris,  under  the  name 
of  The  Company  of  the  West,  by  which  they  were 


12 

invested  with  the  exclusive  privilege  of  the  com- 
merce of  Louisiana,  and  the  working  of  the  mines, 
to  the  same  extent  as  it  was  enjoyed  under  the 
grant  ofCrozat.  These  letters  patent  were  dated  on 
the  23d  of  August,  A.  D.  1717,  registered  6th  Sep- 
tember, of  the  same  year,  and  were  to  be  in  force 
on  the  1st  of  January,  1718,  and  to  continue  for  a 
period  of  25  years.  By  them,  not  only  such  grant* 
and  privileges  were  conveyed  as  had  previously 
been  enjoyed  by  Crozat,  but  they  were  invested 
with  additional  powers,  rights,  and  privileges. 
The  territory  was  granted  in  free  allodium,  (en 
franc  allicu,)  in  lordship  and  in  justice,  the  crown 
reserving  to  itself  no  other  rights  or  duties  but 
those  of  fealty  and  liege  homage,  which  the  Com- 
pany was  required  to  pay  to  the  King,  and  to  his 
successors  at  each  mutation  of  kings,  with  a  crown 
of  gold  of  the  weight  of  thirty  marks.  The  boun- 
daries were  the  same  as  described  in  the  grant  to 
Crozat,  and  the  mines  and  mining  grounds,  opened 
or  discovered  during  the  term  of  its  privilege,  were 
declared  to  belong  to  the  Company  incommuta- 
bly,  without  being  holden  to  pay  any  rents  or  pro- 
ceeds  whatever.  The  Company  was  also  in- 
vested with  the  right  to  sell  and  alienate  the  lands 
of  its  concession,  at  whatever  price  or  rents  they 
might  fix,  and  even  to  grant  them  en  franc  allien, 
without  reserving  the  rights  of  justice  or  lordship. 
It  was  also  provided  that  if,  after  the  expiration  of 
25  years,  for  which  the  exclusive  privilege  of  com- 
merce was  granted,  the  King  should  not  see  proper 
to  continue  the  privilege  by  a  new  grant,  all  the 
lands  and  islands,  mines,and  mining  grounds,  which 


13 

The  Company  of  the  West  should  have  inhabited, 
worked,  improved,  or  disposed  of  on  rent,  or  any 
valuable  consideration  whatever,  should  remain  to 
it  for  ever  in  fee  simple,  to  use  and  dispose  of  as  a 
proper  inheritance,  on  the  simple  condition,  that 
the  Company  should  never  sell  such  lands  to  any 
other  than  the  subjects  of  France. 

A  Company,  incorporated  with  such  ample 
rights  and  privileges,  did  not  fail  to  draw  upon  it 
the  attention  of  the  speculative,  or  to  enlist  the  aid 
of  the  enterprising  capitalists  of  the  French  me- 
tropolis. The  country  of  the  Illinois  was  reput- 
ed rich  beyond  comparison :  the  financial  esti- 
mates submitted  to  the  view  of  the  public,  offered 
prospects  of  unusual  gain,  and  capitalists  flocked 
with  avidity  from  all  quarters,  to  enrol  themselves 
as  members  of  the  Company,  and  partake  of  the 
promised  wealth.  If  any  thing  had  been  wanting 
to  accelerate  the  pace  of  adventurers,  or  to  fan  the 
ardour  of  hope,  it  was  the  genius,  the  financial 
abilities,  and  the  commanding  influence  of  M.  Law, 
who  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  Company,  and 
was  the  moving  power  in  every  transaction.  Men 
have  been  nearly  alike  in  all  ages.  The  Grecians 
are  characterized  for  manly  integrity  and  submis- 
sion to  the  laws ;  the  Romans  are  renowned  for 
for  their  bravery  in  war  and  their  refinements  in 
the  arts  of  civilized  life ;  the  English  for  their  ac- 
quirements in  science  and  literature  ;  the  Ameri- 
cans for  the  equality  of  their  laws :  but  in  matters 
of  interest,  they  are  all  alike,  and  when  money  is 
the  object  of  pursuit,  we  forget  every  local  dis- 
tinction of  language  and  country,  in  the  similarity 


14 

of  sentiment  which  actuates  them,  their  hopes  of 
success,  and  the  uniform  means  which  are  taken  to 
acquire  a  similar  object.  Nor  do  men  always, 
when  a  scheme  of  sudden  wealth  or  aggrandize- 
ment  is  presented,  duly  consider  the  chances  of 
success,  in  opposition  to  the  probabilities  of  a  fail- 
ure. Hence  it  is  no  subject  for  surprise,  that  the 
most  extravagant  anticipations  were  entertained 
by  the  members  of  The  Company  of  the  West,  or 
that  the  unusual  splendour  of  the  Mississippi 
scheme  was  only  equalled  by  the  signal  disap- 
pointment in  which  it  eventuated. 

In  the  year  after  The  Company  of  the  West  had 
been  instituted  by  the  royal  patent  of  the  King, 
they  formed  an  establishment  in  the  country  of  the 
Illinois  at  Fort  Chartres ;  and  in  order  to  promote 
the  objects  of  their  institution,  and  to  encourage 
the  settlement  of  the  country,  held  out  the  most  li- 
beral inducements  to  French  emigrants,  and  made 
them  donations  of  all  lands  which  they  should  cul- 
tivate or  improve.  Miners  and  mechanics  were 
also  encouraged  to  emigrate,  and  the  city  of  New- 
Orleans,  which  had  been  founded  during  the  last 
year  of  the  authority  of  Crozat,  (1717,)  received  a 
considerable  accession  to  its  population  in  the  fall 
of  the  same  year,  and  settlements  began  to  extend 
along  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  in  the 
country  of  the  Illinois.  Among  the  number  of  ad- 
venturers to  Illinois,  was  Philip  Francis  Renault, 
(the  son  of  Philip  Renault,  a  noted  iron-founder  at 
Consohre,  near  to  Mauberge,  in  France,)  who 
came  over  as  the  agent  of  the  Company  of  St.  Phi- 
lips, an  association  of  individuals  which  had  been 


15 

formed  under  the  patronage  of  the  western  com- 
pany, for  prosecuting  the  mining  business  in  the 
upper  country  of  Louisiana  and  Illinois.  It  ap- 
pears also  that  he  was  a  member  of  the  Company 
of  the  West,  and  he  is  spoken  of  as  Director  General 
of  the  Mines  of  the  Royal  India  Company  in  Illinois  ; 
a  name  by  which  not  only  the  present  state  of 
Illinois,  but  a  vast  district  of  the  adjoining  country, 
appears  then  to  have  been  known. 

Renault  left  France  in  the  year  1719,  with  two 
hundred  artificers  and  miners,  provided  with  tools, 
and  whatever  else  was  necessary  for  carrying  the 
objects  of  the  company  into  effect.  In  his  passage 
he  touched  at  the  Island  of  St.  Domingo,  and  pur- 
chased five  hundred  slaves  for  working  the  mines; 
and  entering  the  Mississippi  pursued  his  voyage 
up  that  river  to  New  Orleans,  which  he  reached 
some  time  in  the  year  1720,  and  soon  afterwards 
proceeded  on  his  way  to  Kaskaskia,  in  Illinois. 
Kaskaskia  was  then  inhabited  solely  by  the 
French,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  posts  occupied 
by  them  when  they  began  to  extend  their  posts 
from  Canada  along  the  great  western  Lakes,  and 
down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi.  Renault  esta- 
blished himself  in  the  vicinity  of  this  town,  near 
Fort  Chartres,  at  a  spot  which  he  named  St.  Phil- 
lips, (now  called  the  Little  Village?)  and  from  this 
sent  out  his  mining  and  exploring  parties  into  va- 
rious sections  of  Illinois  and  Louisiana.  These 
parties  were  either  headed  by  himself,  or  M.  La 
Motte,  an  agent  versed  in  the  knowledge  of  mine- 
rals, whom  he  had  brought  over  with  him.  In 
one  of  the  earliest  of  these  excursions  La  Motte 


16 

discovered  the  lead  mines  on  St.  Francis,  which 
bear  his  name ;  and  at  a  subsequent  period  Re- 
nault made  a  discovery  of  those  extensive  mines 
north  of  Potosi,  which  continue  to  be  called  after 
the  discoverer.  Other  mines  of  lead  were  also 
found,  but  their  distinctive  appellations  have  not 
survived:  and  a  proof  of  the  diligence  with  which 
Renault  prosecuted  the  object,  is  furnished  by  the 
number  and  extent  of  the  old  diggings  which  are 
now  found  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  These 
diggings  are  scattered  over  the  whole  mine  coun- 
try, and  hardly  a  season  passes,  in  which  some 
antique  works,  overgrown  with  brush  and  trees, 
are  not  found. 

Renault  being  probably  disappointed  in  the 
high  expectations  he  had  formed  of  finding  gold 
and  silver,  turned  his  whole  force  towards  the 
smelting  of  lead,  and  there  is  reason  to  conclude, 
that  very  great  quantities  were  made.  It  was  con- 
veyed from  the  interior  on  pack-horses,  (the  only 
mode  of  transportation  which  was  practicable  at 
that  early  period.)  The  lead  made  by  Renault 
was  sent  to  New  Orleans,  and  from  thence  chiefly 
shipped  for  France.  That  he  also  discovered 
copper  is  beyond  a  doubt,  and  a  grant  of  land 
made  to  him  at  Old  Piora,  on  the  Illinois  river, 
embraces  a  Coppermine. 

Renault's  operations  were,  however,  retarded 
and  checked,  from  a  quarter  were  it  was  least 
expected.  By  an  edict  of  the  king,  made  at  Paris 
in  May,  1719,  the  Company  of  the  West  was  united 
to  the  East  India  and  Chinese  company,  under  the 
title  of  the  Company  Royal  of  the  Indies ;  (Let 


17 

Compagnie  Royale  des  Indies.)  And  in  1731,  the  whole 
territory  was  retroceded  to  the  crown  of  France, 
the  objects  of  the  company  having  totally  failed  ; 
and  Renault  was  left  in  America,  without  the 
means  of  prosecuting  the  mining  business.  His 
exertions  in  behalf  of  the  company  were  not,  how- 
ever, overlooked  by  the  government,  and  four 
several  grants  of  land  were  made  to  him  in  con- 
sideration of  his  services.  These  grants  bear  date 
June  11th,  A.  D.  1723,  and  cover  the  Mine  La 
Motte,  and  some  other  very  valuable  tracts,  which, 
after  having  laid  dormant  for  a  period  of  about 
sixty  years,  have  recently  been  claimed  by  the  re- 
presentatives of  his  heirs  at  law. 

Renault,  however,  remained  in  Illinois  several 
years  after  the  explosion  of  the  Mississippi  scheme, 
and  did  not  return  to  his  native  country  until 
A.  D.  1742.  With  him  the  greater  part  of  his 
workmen  returned;  the  slaves  were  sold,  and  the 
mining  business  fell  into  neglect.  Here  is  a  pe- 
riod to  the  first  attempt  at  mining  in  Louisiana. 

After  Renault's  departure,  little  or  nothing  ap- 
pears to  have  been  done  in  the  way  of  mining,  and 
even  after  the  Spanish  had  acquired  possession  of 
the  country*,  the  lead  mines  were  but  little  attend- 
ed to.  The  force  which  Renault  had  with  him 
was  sufficient  to  protect  him  from  the  attacks  of 
the  savages ;  but  after  his  departure,  the  settle- 
ments on  the  Mississippi,  feeble  in  themselves, 
could  not  furnish  protection  to  such  as  might  be 


♦Louisiana  was  ceded  to  Spain  by  Fiance  A.  D.  17C2,  and  taken  posses- 
sion of  by  Spain,  1769- 


18 

disposed  to  work  at  the  mines.  The  Spanish, 
however,  in  a  few  years  after  taking  possession  of 
the  country,  did  something,  and  in  process  of  time 
new  discoveries  were  made,  and  the  mining  busi- 
ness began  to  assume  a  more  respectable  charac- 
ter. The  principal  discovery  made  under  the 
Spanish  authority  was,  Mine  a  Burton,  which  takes 
its  name  from  a  person  of  the  name  of  Burton*, 
who  being  out  on  a  hunt  in  that  quarter,  found  the 
ore  lying  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  This  man. 
who  is  now  still  living  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Gene- 
vieve, at  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and 
nine  years,  had  been  employed  while  a  youth 
under  Renault.  The  period  of  this  discovery  it 
would  be  very  difficult  now  to  ascertain,  Burton 

*  The  following  sketch  of  the  life  of  Burton  is  given  by  Colonel  Thomas 
H.  Benton,  of  St.  Louis.  "He  is  a  Frenchman,  from  the  north  of  France. 
In  the  forepart  of  the  last  century,  he  served  in  the  low  countries  under  the 
orders  of  Marschal  Saxe.  He  was  at  Fontenoy  when  the  duke  of  Cum- 
berland was  beat  there  by  that  Marschal.  He  was  at  the  seige  of  Bergen- 
op-Zoom,  and  assisted  in  the  assault  of  that  place  when  it  w7as  assailed  by  a 
division  of  Marschal  Saxe's  army,  under  the  command  of  Count  Lowendahl. 
He  has  also  seen  service  upon  the  continent.  He  was  at  the  building  of 
Fort  Chartres  on  the  American  bottom,  afterwards  went  to  Fort  Du  Quesne, 
(now  Pittsburgh)  and  was  present  at  Braddock's  defeat.  From  the  life  of  a 
soldier,  Burton  passed  to  that  of  a  hunter,  and  in  this  character,  about  half 
a  century  ago,  while  pursuing  a  bear  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi,  he  dis- 
covered the  rich  lead  mines  which  have  borne  his  name  ever  since.  His  pre- 
sent age  cannot  be  ascertained.  He  was  certainly  an  old  soldier  at  Fort 
Chartres,  when  some  of  the  people  of  the  present  day  were  little  children  at 
that  place.  The  most  moderate  computation  will  make  him  an  hundred 
and  six.  He  now  lives  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Micheaux  at  the  little  rock  ferry, 
three  miles  above  St.  Genevieve,  and  walks  to  that  village  almost  every  Sun- 
day to  attend  mass.  He  is  what  we  call  a  square  built  man,  of  five  feet 
eight  inches  high,  full  chest  and  forehead ;  his  sense  of  seeing  and  hear- 
ing somewhat  impaired,  but  free  from  disease,  and  apparently  able  to  hold 
out  against  time  for  many  years  to  come."  [Si.  Louis  Enquirer,  Oclobe, 
16,  1818.] 


19 

himself  being  unable  to  fix  it.     It  has  been  known 
about  forty  years.  (1 8 1 9.) 

The  processes  of  mining  pursued  under  the 
Spanish  government,  appear  to  have  been  very 
rude  and  imperfect,  not  more  than  fifty  per  cent, 
of  lead  being  got  from  the  ore.  The  common 
Open  Log  Furnace  was  the  only  one  employed,  and 
the  lead-ashes  were  thrown  by  as  useless.  Neither 
was  shot,  or  any  other  manufacture  of  it,  attempted 
by  native  Spaniards. 

In  A.  D.  1797,  Moses  Austin,  Esq.  performed  a 
journey  from  the  lead  mines  in  Weythe  County, 
Virginia,  to  the  Mine  a  Burton,  in  Louisiana,  and 
obtained  a  grant  of  land  of  one  league  square, 
from  the  Spanish  authorities,  in  consideration  of 
erecting  a  reverberatory  furnace,  and  other  works, 
for  prosecuting  the  mining  business  at  those  mines. 
This  he  commenced  A.  D.  1798,  and  previous  to 
that  time  no  furnace  for  smelting  the  ashes  of  lead, 
made  in  the  Log  Furnace,  had  been  erected.  Mr. 
Austin  sunk  the  first  regular  shaft  for  raising  the 
ore,  and  introduced  some  other  improvements 
which  were  found  beneficial. 

He  .also,  A.  D.  1799,  erected  a  shot  tower,  under 
the  superintendance  of  Mr.  Elias  Bates,  and  pa- 
tent shot  of  an  approved  quality  were  made.  A 
manufactory  of  sheet  lead  was  completed  during 
the  same  year,  and  the  Spanish  arsenals  at  New- 
Orleans,  and  Havanna,  drew  a  considerable  part 
of  the  supplies  for  their  navy  from  this  source. 

About  this  time  a  few  other  American  families 
crossed  over  into  Louisiana  territory,  and  settled 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  mines.     These,  from 


20 

their  more  enlightened  views,  and  enterprising  spi- 
rit, were  certainly  an  acquisition  to  the  mining  in- 
terest, and  as  their  earliest  attention  was  directed 
to  this,  the  lead  business  began  to  revive ;  and  at 
the  time  the  territory  was  taken  possession  of  by 
the  United  States,  were  pretty  extensively  and  ad- 
vantageously worked*.  The  Mine  a  Robino,  Mine 
a  Martin,  and  many  others  were  shortly  afterwards 
discovered;  and  since  the  year  1804,  the  number 
of  mines  has  been  astonishingly  multiplied;  Shib- 
boleth, New  Diggings,  Lebauni's,  and  Bryarfs  mines, 
are  among  the  latest  discoveries  of  consequence. 

The  lead  mines  did  not  fail  to  attract  the  ear- 
liest attention  of  the  American  government,  and 
immediately  after  the  occupation  of  the  territory 
by  General  Wilkinson,  measures  were  taken  to 
ascertain  the  situation  and  extent  of  the  mines; 
the  method  of  working  them;  with  their  annual 
produce,  and  such  other  information  as  was  neces- 
sary in  forming  an  idea  of  their  importance. 
Several  laws  have  since  been  enacted  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  a  reservation  made  of  all  discoveries 
upon  public  lands. 

The  emigration  to  Louisiana,  which  had  par- 
tially commenced  under  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment, took  a  more  decided  character  after  the 


*  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principal  mines  worked  under  the  Spanish 
overnment : 

Mines.  Situation. 

Mine  La  Motte,         ...  Head  of  St.  Francis  River. 

Mine  a  Joe,  on  Flat  River. 

Min"  a  n-  ii ton,  -         -        -  on  a  branch  of  Mineral  Fork. 

Old  Miner,         ...         -  do.  do. 

Renault's  Mines,  on  Mineral  Fork,  or  Fouche  Arno. 


21 

cession  of  the  country  to  the  United  States  ;  but  has 
been  particularly  great  within  the  last  few  years. 

In  1812  that  part  of  Louisiana  bordering  on  the 
Gulph  of  Mexico,  including  New-Orleans,  and  ex- 
tending up  the  Mississippi  to  the  33°  of  north  la- 
titude, was  erected  into  a  state  under  the  name  of 
Louisiana,  and  the  remainder  formed  into  a  Ter- 
ritorial Government  by  the  name  of  Missouri. 
There  is  a  petition  now  before  Congress  (Feb. 
1819)  for  the  admission  of  Missouri  into  the  Union 
on  a  footing  with  the  original  states.  By  this  pe- 
tition it  is  contemplated  that  White  River  will  form 
the  southern  boundary,  and  the  country  between 
that  and  the  northern  line  of  Louisiana,  including 
our  claims  on  the  Spanish,  will  be  erected  into  a 
Territorial  Government  under  the  the  name  of  Ar- 
kansaw*. 

Respecting  the  present  state  of  the  lead  mines, 
it  is  only  necessary  here  to  add,  that  they  are  work- 
ed in  a  more  improved  manner  than  at  any  for- 
mer period;  that  they  are  more  extensive  than 
when  the  country  came  into  the  hands  of  the 
United  States,  and  of  course  giving  employment  to 
a  greater  number  of  miners,  while  every  season  is 
adding  to  the  number  of  mines;  and  that  the  ores 
may  be  considered  of  the  richest  kind.  Every  day 
is  developing  to  us  the  vast  resources  of  this  coun- 
try in  minerals,  and  particularly  in  lead ;  and  we 
cannot  resist  the  belief  that  in  riches  and  extent, 
the  mines  of  Missouri  are  paralleled  by  no  other 

*  A  law  erecting  the  Territory  of  Arkansaw  from  the  southern  part  of 
Missouri,  has  since  past,  but  its  northern  boundary  is  extended  so  as  to  in- 
clude all  White  River,  and  the  principal  part  of  Lawrence  county. 


22 

mineral  district  in  the  world.     In  the  working  of 
the  mines — in  raising  the  ore,  and  smelting  it, — 
and  in  the  establishment  of  the  different  manufac- 
tures dependent  upon  it,  there  is  much  to  be  done. 
Though  the  processes  now  pursued  are  greatly 
superior  to  those  in  use  under  the  French  and 
Spanish  governments,  there  is  still  ample  room  for 
improvement.     The  earth  has  not  yet  been  pene- 
trated over  80  feet !  we   know  not  what  may  be 
found  in  the  lower  strata  of  the  soil.     There  is 
reason  to  believe  that  the  main  bodies  of  ore  have 
not  yet  been  hit  upon,  that  they  lie  deeper,  and  that 
we  have  thus  far  only  been  engaged  upon  the  spurs 
and  detached  masses.     There  is  also  reason  to 
believe  that  large  bodies  of  the  ores  of  Zinc,  exist 
in  the  district  of  the  mines;  and  that  Copper  will 
be  afforded  by  the  lower  strata  of  earth.     It  is 
found  overlaid  by  lead  ores  in  many  of  the  Euro- 
pean mines,  and  the  geognostic  character  of  the 
country  leads  us  to  conclude  it  may  also  be  found 
here. 

The  want  of  capitalists  in  the  mine  country — of 
scientific  knowledge  in  those  by  whom  mining  is 
conducted,  and  of  practical  skill  in  the   boring, 
blasting,  sinking  shafts,  and  galleries,  draining  and 
ventilating — these  oppose  obstacles  to  the  success- 
ful progress  of  mining.     There  is  but  one  regular 
hearth  furnace  for  smelting  in  the  whole  district, 
and  that  is  not  on  the  modern  plan  of  English  fur- 
naces.    There  are  not  over  four  or  five  regular 
shafts  out  of  about  40  mines, — there  is  not  an  en- 
gine either  by  horse,  steam,  or  water  power,  for 
removing  water  from  the  mines,  several  of  which 


23 

have  been  abandoned  on  this  account  with  the 
richest  prospects  of  ore  in  view.  In  fine,  there  is 
little  of  that  system,  skill,  industry,  and  precaution, 
which  characterize  the  best  conducted  European 
mines,  and  which,  by  an  application  of  the  most  re- 
centdiscoveriesin  mechanics,  chymistry  and  philo- 
sophy, render  them  the  admiration  of  every  intelli- 
gent visiter.  By  and  by,  it  may  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  some  mining  capitalists  of  Great  Britain  and 
other  parts,  and  such  a  circumstance  would  form  a 
new  era  in  the  history  of  the  mining  operations  of 
this  country.  Something  also  remains  to  be  done 
by  the  government,  the  existing  laws  are  inade- 
quate to  the  purposes  for  which  they  were  enacted. 
That  feature  restricting  leases  to  three  years  is  in- 
judicious ;  the  period  is  so  short  that  it  deters  those 
who  are  most  able,  from  engaging  in  it  at  all.  It  is  also 
desirable  that  such  a  system  should  be  established, 
as  would  enable  us  to  get  at  the  annual  produce 
of  the  mines,  number  of  hands  employed,  and  such 
other  facts  as  are  necessary  in  forming  a  series  of 
statistical  tables  on  the  subject.  The  want  of  such 
data  has  hitherto  prevented  us  from  setting  a  true 
value  upon  the  mines,  and  of  properly  estimating 
their  importance  in  a  national  point  of  view.  The 
acquisition  of  a  scientific  knowledge  of  minerals 
should  also  be  facilitated  by  the  establishment  of 
a  seminary  in  this  quarter.  There  should  be  a 
mineralogical  school  located  in  the  mine  country, 
where  students  might  be  instructed  in  that  useful 
science.  In  a  country  so  rich  in  minerals  and  fos- 
sils, and  whose  wealth  will  always  so  much  depend 
upon  a  proper  developemerit  of  these  resources, 


24 

the  knowledge  of  minerals  should  be  laid  open  to 
every  one,  and  it  should  be  within  the  reach  of such 
as  do  not  wish,  or  cannot  get  the  other  branches 
of  a  liberal  education.  To  obtain  this  knowledge 
now,  even  were  there  a  prevelent  taste  for  it,  a 
person  would  be  compelled  to  travel  to  remote 
parts  of  the  union,  and  to  incur  an  unreasonable 
expense.  No  one  who  is  conversant  with  the  ad- 
vantages which  various  parts  of  Germany,  and  par- 
ticularly Saxony, has  derived  from  such  a  seminary, 
will  deny  the  utility  of  a  similar  one  in  the  United 
States ;  and  as  to  its  location  there  can  be  no  ques- 
tion, for,  compared  with  any  other  section  of  the 
union,  this  will  be  found  the  land  of  ores — the  country 
of  minerals. 

Yet  with  all  the  disadvantages  under  which  the 
lead  mines  have  been  viewed,  and  others  which  it 
would  be  superfluous  to  detail,  there  are  many 
who  may  be  surprised  to  find  their  annual  pro- 
ducts (from  the  best  information)  stated  at  three 
millions  of  pounds :  and  from  this  some  idea  may  be 
formed  of  their  vast  riches  and  extent,  and,  when 
they  come  to  be  properly  and  regularly  worked, 
how  greatly  they  will  contribute  towards  our 
wealth  and  independence. 


25 

The  following  are  the  principal  Historical  Epochs  of 
Louisiana,  chronologically  arranged. 

Discovered  by  Ferdinand  de  Soto,  and 

named  Florida, 
Visited  by  the  French  from  Canada 
Settlement  made  by  La  Salle 
A  settlement  made  at  Bolixi 
Granted  to  Crozat  by  Louis  XIV.  14th 

Sept. 
New-Orleans  founded  by  the  French 
Retroceded  to  the  crown  by  Crozat 
Granted  to  the  Company  of  the  West 
Retroceded  by  the  Company  of  the  West  „ 
Ceded  to  Spain  by  France 
First  occupied  by  the  Spanish 
Ceded  to  the  United  States 
Taken  possession  of  by  the  U.  S.  20  Dec.  „ 
Louisiana  became  a  State,  August 
Missouri  Territory  erected,  4th  June 
Territory  of  Arkansaw  erected,  March 


A.  D 

,  1539 

n 

1674 

n 

1683 

11 

1699 

11 

1712 

11 

1717 

11 

ii 

11 

ii 

t  „ 

1731 

9? 

1762 

11 

1769 

11 

1803 

•    11 

ii 

11 

1812 

11 

1812 

11 

1819 

25 

SECTION  II. 

General  Outline  of the  Aline  Country. 

The  district  of  country  which  is  characterized 
by  affording  lead  ore,  and  formerly  known  as  the 
lead  mines  of  Louisiana,  comprises  the  present  coun- 
ties of  Washington,  St.  Genevieve,  Jefferson,  and 
Madison:  Missouri  Territory.  It  extends  in  length 
from  the  head  waters  of  the  St.  Francis,  in  a  north- 
west direction,  to  the  Merrimack,  a  distance  of 
70  miles;  and  in  breadth  from  the  Mississippi  in  a 
southwest  direction  to  the  Fourche  a  Courlois,  a 
distance  of  about  45  miles,  and  covering  an  area  of 
3150  square  miles. 

This  tract  is  generally  characterized  by  yield- 
ins:  lead  ores,  and  is  the  seat  of  such  mines  as  now 
are,  or  have  formerly  been  wrought.  It  is  not  on 
every  particular  section  of  it  that  the  existence  of 
lead  is  to  be  traced,  nor  is  the  mineral  character 
of  the  soil,  rocks,  and  other  earthy  and  stony 
bodies  uniformly  preserved.  And,  on  the  contra- 
ry, there  is  no  considerable  tract,  on  which  ore  is 
not  to  be  found.  The  general  aspect  of  the  coun- 
try is  sterile,  though  not  mountainous:  the  lands, 
lie  rolling,  like  a  body  of  water  in  gentle  agitation. 
In  some  places  the  hills  rise  into  abrupt  cliffs,  where 
the  great  rock  formations  of  the  country  may  be 
seen  ;  in  others,  they  run  into  level  plains  :  a  kind 
of  highland ptairie.  The  soil  is  a  reddish  coloured 
clay,  stiff  and  hard,  and  full  of  fragments  of  flinty 
stone,  quartz,  and  gravel:    this   extends  to  the 


-1 

depth  or  from  10  to  HO  feet,  and  is  bottomed  on 
limestone  rock.  It  is  so  compact  in  some  places 
as  almost  to  resist  the  pickaxe ;  in  others,  it 
seems  to  partake  of  marl,  is  less  gravelly,  and 
readily  penetrated.  The  country  is  particularly 
characterized  by  quartz,  which  is  strewed  in  de- 
tached pieces  over  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and 
is  also  found  imbedded  in  the  soil  at  all  depths. 
This  is  here  called  blossom  of  lead,  Iron  ores,  and 
pyrites  are  also  scattered  over  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  and  occasionally  lead  ore.  Such  is  the 
general  character  of  the  mineral  hills,  which  are 
invariably  covered  by  a  stinted  growth  of  oaks. 
and  what  are  here  denominated  post  oaks.  They 
are  seldom  found  to  grow  higher  than  30  feet,  and 
10  is  the  highest,  seldom  exceed  a  foot  in  diameter, 
and  stand  scattering.  In  some  places  walnut  is 
found;  and  there  is  a  ridge  of  yellow  pine  running 
the  whole  extent  of  the  mine  tract,  from  the  St. 
Francis  to  the  Merrimack,  but  it  is  not  more  than 
six  or  eight  miles  wide,  and  no  discovery  of  lead 
has  been  made  upon  it, — at  least,  no  quantity  has 
been  found.  The  mines  lie  generally  east  of  it. 
This  ridge  of  pine  traverses  the  country  in  a  gener- 
al course  from  S.  E.  to  N.  W.  a  fact  which  may 
also  be  observed  in  regard  to  the  veins  of  lead, 
viewed  in  connexion  with  each  other,  and  as  they 
are  to  be  traced  from  mine  to  mine.  The  hills 
also  yield  sassafras,  and  the  slopes  which  are  rich- 
er soil,  afford  buckeye,  black  walnut,  papaw,  and 
percimmon,  and  some  other  trees,  shrubs,  and  wild 
fruits;  and  the  whole  is  covered  in  summer  by  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  grass,  even  the  poorest  hills, 


28 

which  hides  the  flinty  aspect  of  the  country,  and 
gives  it  avery  pleasing  and  picturesqueappearance. 
The  vallies  have  always  a  stratum  of  alluvial 
soil,  which  is  more  or  less  deep,  according  to  their 
extent,  but  there  are  few  which  are  not  adapted 
for  cultivation,  and  the  bottoms  on  the  streams,  and 
lowland  prairies,  consist  of  several  strata  of  black 
alluvial  earth,  affording  some  of  the  richest  farm- 
ing lands  in  the  western  country.'  The  strong 
quality  of  the  soil  is  shown  in  the  heavy  growth  of 
trees  with  which  it  is  covered.  The  principal  of 
these  are  sycamore,  elm,  cotton  wood,  oaks,  wal- 
nut, maple,  buckeye,  hackberry,  ash,  papaw,  per- 
eimmon,  spicewood,  mulberry,  sassafras,  and  dog- 
wood. A  rank  growth  of  vines  and  shrubs  also 
overruns  the  bottom  land ;  and  in  no  other  coun- 
try is  there  to  be  found  so  great  a  variety  and 
abundance  of  wild  fruits;  of  these,  the  following 
is  a  catalogue  : 

Grape,  Hackberry, 

Red  plumb,  Hazlenut, 

Percimmon,  Strawberry- 

Cherry,  Blackberry, 

Black  haws,  Whortleberry, 

Thornberry,  Crab  apple, 

Walnut,  Gooseberry, 

Mulberry,  Papaw. 

These  are  generally  to  be  found  in  all  parts  of 
the  country,  and  where  they  occur  are  abundant. 
The  grape,  in  particular,  which  is  of  a  delicious 
kind,  abounds  every  where.  It  is  very  common 
about  the  mines,  as  may  be  observed  at  Mine  a 
Burton,  old  mines,  and  Shibboleth. 


29 

The  soil  thrown  out  of  the  pits  sunk  in  search 
of  ore,  also  produces  several  plants  and  trees  which 
are  not  peculiar  to  the  surface.  Such  are  the  pop- 
lar, or  cotton  wood,  and  beach  grape,  which^are  only 
found  to  flourish  on  the  rich  alluvial  lands  compo- 
sing the  banks  of  rivers.  Nevertheless,  I  have  seen 
these  growing  about  the  mouths  of  long  neglected 
pits,  the  soil  of  which  had  been  raised  thirty  or 
forty  feet,  and  where,  previous  to  digging,  no  such 
trees  or  vines  existed.  This  fact  is  to  be  referred 
only  to  a  difference  in  the  quality  of  the  soil  at  the 
depth  alluded  to,  and  warrants  us  further  in  the 
conclusion,  that  all  soils  are  impregnated  with  the 
seeds  of  the  trees  and  plants  peculiar  to  them,  as 
well  at  great  depths  as  on  their  surfaces,  and  that 
they  only  require  exposure  to  the  sun,  the  air,  and 
the  light,  to  enable  them  to  vegetate. 

Respecting  the  botanical  character  of  the  min- 
eral soil,  it  may  be  further  observed,  that  although 
it  yields  but  few  forest  trees,  and  they  are  not  of  a 
vigorous  growth,  yet  a  botanist  might  find  his  la- 
bours well  rewarded  by  the  profusion  of  shrubs 
and  wild  flowers  which  are  every  where  found  on 
the  barrens.  Some  of  these  possess  a  singular 
beauty  and  fragrance,  and  I  have  particularly  no- 
ticed a  fine  leaved  plant,  which  is  highly  sensitive. 
It  shrinks  from  the  touch :  it  bears  a  very  fragrant 
red  flower  in  summer,  and  its  stem  is  thorny.  It 
has  been  called  the  sensitive  brier.  There  are  also 
some  plants  from  which  colours  have  been  extract- 
ed for  dyeing ;  such  are  peterswort  crab-apple, 
shumac,  upland  dock,  and  smartweed,  and  a  skill- 
ful botanist  would  probably  discover  many  more. 


30 

The  savages  are  in  possession  of  some  secrets  in 
dyeing,  the  discovery  of  which  is  matter  of  moment. 
They  dye  a  very  beautiful  and  permanent  red  from 
some  vegetable  which  is  the  production  of  this 
country.  And  the  subject  assumes  a  character  of 
national  importance,  when  wre  consider  the  im- 
mense sums  we  are  annually  paying  to  foreign  na- 
tions for  dyeing  ingredients.  Do  not  the  western 
woods  afford  some  substitutes  ? 

The  district  of  the  lead  mines  is  well  watered, 
affording  in  all  parts  innumerable  springs  and 
rivulets  of  the  most  pure  and  wholesome  water; 
and  as  the  lands  are  high  and  airy,  it  is  found  one 
of  th£  most  healthy  parts  of  the  territory.  Epi- 
demics are  unknown.  Those  diseases  which 
prevail  more  or  less  every  summer  on  the  Ameri- 
can bottom,  and  other  rich  and  level  tracts  of  Illi- 
nois, Ohio,  and  Indiana,  have  not  found  their  way 
into  the  interior  of  Missouri,  where  there  is  no  stag- 
nant water, — no  repositories  for  mud  and  slime, 
brought  down  by  the  annual  floods,  as  is  the  case 
on  the  immediate  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  Ohio, 
and  other  great  western  rivers, — and  no  pestilen- 
tial airs  from  decaying  vegetable, and  drying  ponds. 
The  fever  and  ague  is  a  very  rare  thing  at  the  mines. 
Billious  complaints  are  the  most  common,  but  they 
are  not  fatal.  During  a  residence  of  ten  months 
at  the  mines,  I  have  not  witnessed  a  single  death, 
or  heard  of  any  happening  in  the  country.  At  the 
same  time,  the  margin  of  the  Mississippi,  on  both 
sides,  has  been  the  scene  of  frequent  deaths,  and, 
during  the  summer  months,  of  almost  continued 
disease.     There  are,  however,  some  losses  annu- 


ally  sustained  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  mine  tract, 
from  the  death  of  cattle,  who  die  of  the  mine  sick- 
ness. Cows  and  horses  are  frequently  seen  to  die 
without  any  apparent  cause.  Cats  and  dogs  are 
taken  with  violent  fits,  which  never  fail  in  a  short 
time,  to  kill  them.  This  has  been  accounted  for,  by 
supposing  that  tiiey  inhale  the  sulphur  which  is  so 
abundantly  driven  off  in  smelting  lead,  and  cattle 
are  often  seen  licking  about  old  furnaces.  It  is 
more  probable  that  it  arises  from  the  sulphate  of 
b::rytes,  which  accompanies  the  lead  ore.  This 
consists  of  the  sulphuric  acid  united  to  barytes — 
a  poison  to  animals.  The  mine  sickness  is  wholly 
confined  to  quadrupeds. 

The  Merrimack  and  St.  Francis  are  streams  of 
the  mine  country,  the  former  washing  its  north- 
western boundary,  and  deriving  much  of  its  water 
from  it,  and  the  latter,  originating  in  broken  lands 
ten  or  fifteen  miles  south  of  Mine  a  Burton.  Big 
River,  Terre  Bleau,  Mineral  Fork,  Fourche  a 
Courtois,  and  Indian  Creek,  are  also  considerable 
streams.  Of  a  lesser  size,  are  Flat  River,  Mine, 
Cedar,  Wolf,  Rock,  Apple,  Saline,  Platten  and 
Joachim  Creeks,  the  four  last  falling  into  the  Mis- 
sissippi successively  as  you  ascend  the  river  from 
Cape  Girardeau  to  St.  Louis.  These  streams,  with 
their  tributary  waters,  afford  farming  lands  of  an 
excellent  quality,  both  bottoms  and  uplands,  and 
present  a  pleasing  contrast  to  the  sterile  mineral 
hills  on  which  they  border.  Indeed,  in  no  ciher 
part  of  the  western  country  is  there  to  be  found 
so  remarkable  a  contrast,  for  the  traveller  is  alter- 
nately presented  with  poor  flinty  hills,  rich  alluvial 


32 

bottoms,  barren  plains,  towering  cliffs,  and  level 
prairies,  all  mixed  in  a  very  novel  and  surprising 
manner,  and  affording  some  of  the  most  picturesque 
scenes  of  rural  beauty.  The  traveller,  after  he  has 
viewed  the  rich  uplands  of  Ohio — the  heavy  forests 
of  Indiana — the  woodless  barrens  of  Kentucky — 
the  craggy  cliffs  of  Tennessee — and  the  unbounded 
prairies  of  Illinois,  has  still  something  to  desire,  for 
he  may  see  them  all  together  in  one  day's  ride  in 
the  interior  of  Missouri.  The  whole  country,  after 
you  cross  the  Mississppi,  seems  to  have  been  pro- 
jected on  a  different  scale,  the  very  rock  forma- 
tions are  different,  and  the  masses  of  granite,  quartz, 
and  green  stone  porphyry  met  with,  attest  its  claims 
to  antiquity.  The  western  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
from  the  head  of  Tyawapaty  Bottom  to  St.  Louis, 
is,  with  some  exceptions,  an  almost  perpendicular 
wall  of  limestone  from  one  hundred  to  two  hun- 
dred feet  high,  and  affording  in  many  places,  some 
of  the  sublimest  views  of  nature.  The  Grand  Tow- 
er, Dormant  Wall,  Hanging  Dog,  and  Cornice  Rock, 
may  be  mentioned  as  instances  of  this.  At  this 
height  the  mineral  soil  commences,  still  rising  by 
imperceptible  degrees  as  you  advance  into  the  inte- 
rior, and  the  whole  Missouri  shore  seems  to  be  suf- 
ficiently elevated  to  have  served  as  a  barrier  to  an 
ocean,  which  may  have  rested  on  the  ground  now 
occupied  by  the  states  of  lllinois,Indiana,Kentucky, 
and  Ohio.  These  are  manifestly  countries  of  newer 
formation,  bearing  innumerable  marks  of  submer- 
sion, in  the  impressions  of  shells  and  animals  found 
in  their  rocks,  in  the  remains  of  animal  bones,  and 
in   various   other  evidences,  which   a  geologist 


33 

Would    consider    conclusive  of   secondary    forma- 
tion. 

The  Lead  mines  are  situated  between  the  37th 
and  38th  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  between 
the  89th  and  92d  degree  of  west  longitude. 
The  climate  is  mild  and  pleasant.  It  is  not  so 
hot  as  the  same  latitudes  in  Kentucky  and  Vir- 
ginia. The  last  summer,  (1818,)  was  considered 
unusually  warm,  yet  I  experienced  no  inconvenien- 
ces from  the  heat,  although  from  a  country  situ- 
ated six  degrees  further  north.  The  heat  was 
manifestly  great,  but  a  gentle  breeze  was  almost 
constantly  stirring;  and  the  uneven  surface  of  the 
country  is  favourable  for  keeping  up  a  current  in 
the  atmosphere.  The  fall  was  pleasant  and  serene, 
and  the  weather  continued  mild,  until  about  the 
middle  of  December,  when  cold  and  disagreeable 
weather  commenced,  which  continued  nearly  a 
month;  during  which,  we  had  some  flurries  of 
snow,  and  it  fell  at  one  time  three  inches  deep ; 
the  atmosphere  then  resumed  its  usual  serenity, 
and  continued  about  the  temperature  of  April 
weather  in  New- York,  until  the  middle  of  Febru- 
ary, when  chilly  winds,  slight  snow  flurries,  and 
rains  and  sun-shine  alternately  characterized  the 
days  for  a  month  more,  and  the  spring  opened, 
giving  us  a  serene  sky  and  mild  warm  weather. 
The  weather  is,  however,  subject  to  very  sudden 
changes ;  a  circumstance  that  will  induce  an  emi- 
grant to  exclaim  on  the  great  heat  one  day. 
and  on  the  great  cold  the  next.  The  old  people 
have  very  few  signs  by  which  they  can  foretel 
the  weather. 

5 


34 

The  climate  is  well  adapted  for  the  raising  of 
corn  and  wheat,  which  are  the  staple  articles  of 
the  Missouri  farmer.  Rye  also  succeeds,  but  is 
not  much  cultivated.  Oats,  peas,  turnips,  flax  and 
hemp  do  very  well,  but  there  is  little  of  either 
raised.  Irish  potatoes,  do  not  succeed  well ;  the 
sweet,  or  Carolina  potatoe  was  raised  last  year  in 
considerable  perfection.  The  soil  and  climate  is 
well  adapted  to  the  culture  of  tobacco,  and  this  is 
an  article  which  is  just  beginning  to  excite  universal 
attention.  There  will  be  a  considerable  quantity 
raised  the  ensuing  summer  in  the  county  of  Wash- 
ington, and  the  country  is  said  to  be  as  well  adapt- 
ed to  it,  as  Kentucky. 

The  farmer  here  encloses  no  meadows — cuts  no 
hay. — The  luxuriant  growth  of  grass  in  the  woods 
affords  ample  range  for  his  cattle  and  horses,  and 
they  are  constantly  kept  fat.  Hogs  also  are  suf- 
ferred  to  run  at  large,  and  in  the  fall  are  killed 
from  the  woods ;  I  have  seen  no  fatter  pork  than 
what  has  been  killed  in  this  way.  There  is,  per- 
haps, no  country  in  the  world,  where  cattle  and 
hogs  can  be  raised  with  so  little  trouble  and  ex- 
pense  as  here  ;  and  this  is  an  advantage  this  coun- 
try possesses  which  is  likely  to  be  permanent ; 
for  the  country  will  never  admit  of  a  dense  po- 
pulation :  (I  allude  particularly  to  the  mine  coun- 
try :)  here  and  there  will  be  an  excellent  planta- 
tion, and  the  intermediate  lands  being  too  barren 
for  cultivation,  will  never  be  taken  up,  but  still 
afford  a  range  for  hogs  and  cattle.  In  Illinois, 
Indiana,  and  other  parts,  where  such  advantages 
now  exist,  they  will  shortly  be  curtailed,  for  the 


.15 

lands  being,  generally  speaking,  all  good,  will  be 
bought  up,  and  every  farmer  confined  to  the 
limits  of  his  own  farm.  The  same  advantage  also 
renders  the  country  particularly  worthy  of  the  at- 
tention of  the  shepherd.  There  is  no  country  better 
adapted  to  the  raising  and  keeping  of  large  flocks 
of  sheep,  who  would  find  excellent  pasturage  in 
the  prairies  and  woods,  and  only  require  a  hand 
to  drive  them  to  fresh  pastures  during  the  day,  and 
guard  them  from  wolves  by  night.  Hay  to  feed 
them  during  the  winter,  might  be  cut  any  where 
in  the  post  oak  woods  and  prairies,  and  their  wool 
would  always  bring  a  good  price  in  the  market ; 
for  the  country  affords  every  facility  by  its  streams 
for  erecting  manufactories  of  cloth  on  an  extensive 
scale.  There  are  few  sheep  at  present  raised  in 
the  country ;  wool,  and  woollen  goods  of  all  sorts, 
are  high  and  scarce,  and  I  consider  the  subject 
worthy  of  the  particular  attention  of  the  Missouri 
farmer.  Horses  are  raised  in  considerable  num- 
bers by  the  inhabitants  generally,  and  with  little 
labour.  They  subsist  themselves  in  the  woods, 
both  summer  and  winter,  nothing  more  being  re- 
quired than  to  look  after  them,  to  see  that  no  bells 
are  lost,  that  they  are  duly  salted,  and  that  they  do 
not  go  astray.  They  may  be  considered  among 
the  exports  of  the  country,  considerable  droves 
being  annually  driven  off  to  Kentucky,  Red  River, 
and  other  parts.  It  is  to  be  observed,  however, 
that  a  proper  attention  is  not  paid  to  improving 
the  breeds,  and  though  there  are  some  elegant 
horses,  the  generality  have  a  mixture  of  wild  horse ; 


3b 


they  are  small,  thick-set,  and  low  priced.  A  good 
horse  of  this  kind  is  sold  for  thirty  dollars. 

Respecting  the  wild  quadrupeds  in  this  part  of 
the  country,  it  rn;*y  he  observed,  that  they  are  an- 
nually decreasing,  both  in  number  and  kind,  and 
hunting  is  every  year  becoming  less  an  object. 
Those,  therefore,  who  are  attached  to  this  kind  of 
life,  are  almost  imperceptibly  withdrawing  further 
into  the  woods.  The  principal  hunting  ground 
near  this  is  White  River,  some  account  of  which 
will  be  given  at  the  end  of  this  work.  The  deer  is 
still  frequently  met  with  in  the  mineral  woods,  and 
from  the  great  body  of  waste  lands,  will  probably 
long  keep  possession  of  them.  The  Beaver  has 
been  driven  off!  This  shy  animal  is  the  first  to 
abandon  a  country  on  the  approach  of  men.  He 
is  generally  succeeded  by  the  Otter,  who,  from  the 
natural  enmity  between  them,  is  never  found  to 
inhabit  the  same  stream. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  such  animals  as  are 
still  to  be  met  with  : 


Deer, 

Otter, 

Bear, 

Muskrat, 

Wolf, 

Racoon, 

Fox, 

Opossum, 

Wild-cat, 

Rabbit, 

Panther, 

Pole-cat, 

Hedgehog, 

Fox-squirrel, 

Weasel, 

Grey-squirrel, 

Mink, 

Red-squirrel, 

Gohar, 

Mole. 

Of  birds  there  is  an  endless  variety.     The  wild 
turkey  is  still  very  common  on  the  bottom  lands, 


37 

and  during  the  heat  of  the  day  in  the  open  post 
oak  Avoods.  The  wild  goos?,  duck,  brant,  a:id 
swan,  are  to  be  found  on  the  streams.  The  peli- 
can is  occasionally  seen  on  coming  up  the  Mis- 
sissippi, but  never  ventures  into  the  interior.  The 
prairie  hen  is  common,  so  are  quails  and  pigeons ; 
the  latter,  in  some  parts  of  the  interior,  are  so  nu- 
merous that  the  woods  seem  alive  with  them.  Of 
singing  birds  there  is  a  numerous  tribe ;  some  of 
them  are  strangers  to  me,  and  there  is  a  great  pro- 
portion whose  colours  are  beautiful,  and  who  sing 
sweetly.  I  think  an  ornithologist  would  find  this 
a  very  interesting  field.  The  parakeet  is  a  beauti- 
ful bird  ;  it  is  a  kind  of  parrot ;  its  colours  are 
green,  yellow,  and  red,  all  bright  colours,  and  it  is 
a  pleasing  sight  to  see  a  flock  of  them  suddenly 
wheel  in  the  atmosphere,  and  light  upon  a  tree; 
their  gaudy  colours  are  reflected  in  the  sun  with 
the  brilliance  of  the  rainbow :  they  are  a  noisy 
bird,  but  their  notes  are  disagreeable.  This  bird 
is  first  met  with  on  descending  the  Ohio,  about  the 
falls,  after  which  they  become  plenty ;  are  con- 
stantly to  be  seen  on  the  Kentucky  or  Indiana 
shore,  and  add  to  the  delight  a  traveller  feels  in 
descending  that  beautiful  river.  Of  birds  of  prey, 
the  eagle,  the  turkey  buzzard,  and  the  raven,  may 
be  noticed ;  but  I  forbear  to  increase  the  cata- 
logue, for  the  subject  is  exhaustless,  and  to  do  it 
justice  would  require  a  greater  limit  than  I  pro- 
pose to  allow  myself  in  this  entire  view.  The 
mineral  productions  of  this  country  are  very  nu- 
merous and  interesting ;  for  a  catalogue  of  them 
see  the  miscellaneous  part  of  this  work. 


30 

The  agricultural  character  of  the  mine  country  ; 
although  poor  in  the  general  estimate,  is  far  less 
so  than  mining  countries  generally  are ;  and  viewed 
in  detail  presents  a  great  deal  of  the  most  valuable 
farming  lands.  A  spirit  of  husbandry  is  now  ge- 
nerally prevalent;  this  has  been  yearly  increasing 
since  the  United  States  acquired  possession  of  the 
country,  but  has  been  particularly  visible  within 
the  last  5  years.  Farms  are  better  tilled,  and 
both  the  theory  and  practice  of  agriculture  better 
understood  than  formerly.  This  is  chiefly  attri- 
butable to  the  emigration,  which,  within  the  last 
few  years,  has  flown  in  so  rapidly.  Among  the 
number  has  been  several  men  of  wealth  and  in- 
telligence— practical  farmers  from  the  old  states, 
who,  at  the  same  time  that  they  have  disseminated 
the  principles  of  agriculture,  have  increased  the 
respectability  of  the  farming  class,  and  taught 
them  to  appreciate,  in  a  proper  light,  the  farming 
interest.  Perhaps,  during  this  period,  the  mining 
business  has  been  less  attended  to  than  formerly, 
and  it  would  appear  as  if  the  increase  of  the  one 
has  kept  pace  with  the  decline  of  the  other,  but 
perhaps  they  both  flourish  best  together. 

Washington  County,  which  is  the  richest  in  lead 
ore  of  all  the  mineral  counties,  and  at  the  same 
time  contains  a  great  proportion  of  good  farming 
land,  now  produces,  over  and  above  all  home  con- 
sumption, a  considerable  quantity  of  grain  for  dis- 
tillation and  for  flouring ;  and  beef  and  pork  for 
foreign  markets  ; — yet,  there  is  a  period  in  the 
history  of  the  mining  operations  of  this  county, 


39 

when  its  annual  produce  did  not  equal  its  annual 
consumption. 

With  the  advances  in  agriculture,  a  correspond- 
ent improvement  has  been  effected  in  the  manners 
and  morals  of  the  people.     A  large  proportion  of 
those  formerly  engaged  in  mining  were  persons  of 
the  most  abandoned  character,  refugees  from  jus- 
tice in  the  old  States  ;  and  the  mines  were  a  con- 
tinued scene  of  riot  and  disorder,  and  many  atroci- 
ties were  committed.     Many  of  those  persons  have 
fled,  others  have  been  restrained  from  evil  prac- 
tices by  the  influence  and  example  of  virtuous  and 
intelligent  men,  and  it  is  but  justice  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  mines  to  observe,  that  in  morals  and 
manners  they  are  surpassed  by  no  other  district 
in  the  Territory.     It  would  be  difficult  to  point 
out  a  town  or  village  west  of  the  Mississippi  where 
there  is  a  greater  attention  to  industry,  morality, 
and  religion,  than  at  Mine  a  Burton.     There  are 
many  of  the  refinements,  and  even  elegancies  of 
life ;   and  in  the  courtesy  and  hospitality  of  the 
gentlemen,  and  the  dress,  conversation,  and  de- 
portment of  the  ladies,  a  proof  is  afforded  of  the 
great  improvement  which  a  few  years  has  effected 
in  society. 

There  are  but  few  Spaniards  remaining  in  the 
district  of  the  mines,  or  in  the  Missouri  Territory ; 
they  generally  withdrew  on  the  occupation  of  the 
country  by  the  United  States.  The  French  con- 
stitute a  considerable  proportion  of  the  whole 
population,  and  it  is  but  repeating  a  common  ob- 
servation to  say,  that  in  morality  and  intelligence 
they  are  far  inferior  to  the  American  population. 

yi 


40 

The  French  are  uniformly  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  The  religion  most  prevalent  in 
other  parts  of  the  community  is  Methodism ;  the 
Baptists  are  next  in  number,  and  the  late  emigra- 
tions have  brought  in  several  Presbyterians,  who 
are  daily  acquiring  an  accession  of  strength;  and 
a  few  Episcopalians.  There  are  but  few  regular 
buildings  for  public  worship,  and  of  those  few  I 
am  unable  to  mention  a  single  piece  of  respectable 
architecture.  Worship  is  generally  performed  in 
private  houses,  and  buildings  erected  for  county  or 
other  public  purposes  :  but  considering  the  infan- 
cy of  the  settlements,  perhaps  more  could  not  be 
expected.  The  benefits  of  common  schooling  are 
but  partially  felt,  there  is  no  system  of  school 
education.  This  is  a  business  left  to  individual 
exertion  and  patronage.  I  believe  there  is  no 
considerable  settlement  without  a  school,  at  least 
a  part  of  the  year. 

Slavery  was  introduced  into  this  Territory  at  a 
very  early  period,  and  previous  to  the  occupation 
of  the  country  by  the  United  States.  There  are  a 
considerable  number  at  present  ;  nearly  every 
good  plantation,  and  many  of  the  mines  being 
wrought  by  them.  This  observation  has  no  allu- 
sion to  the  settlements  on  the  Missouri  at  Boon's 
Lick,  St.  Charles,  and  other  places,  where  emigra- 
tions are  flowing  in  very  rapidly,  where  there  are 
many  New  England  farmers  who  are  averse  to 
slavery  in  principle,  and  where  indeed  it  is  under- 
stood that  slaves  have  been  but  partially  intro- 
duced. This  is  a  subject  which  excites  some  in- 
terest here  at  the  present  moment,  when  a  petition 


41 

is  lying  before  Congress  for  the  admission  of  Mis- 
souri into  the  Union,  and  some  fears  are  entertain- 
ed that  a  Legislative  restriction,  with  regard  to 
slavery,  may  be  introduced  into  the  organic  Law. 
Without  inquiring  into  the  constitutionality  of  such 
a  restriction,  it  may  here  be  observed,  that  from 
the  temper  of  the  people,  it  may  be  concluded  that 
it  is  a  privilege  which  will  be  hardly  relinquished. 
It  is  not  to  a  country  like  this,  that  we  are  to 
look  for  internal  improvements ;  it  has  been  too 
recently  the  empire  of  savage  ferocity,  to  admit 
of  the  amassment  of  superfluous  wealth.  There 
are  few  able  to  contribute  great  sums  towards  the 
construction  of  permanent  roads,  bridges,  and 
canals.  The  subject  is,  however,  kept  in  view; 
there  are  many  who  see  with  pleasure  what  other 
States  are  doing  in  this  way,  and  the  JVew-York 
Canal  is  a  subject  of  frequent  conversation  among 
the  intelligent  part  of  the  community.  They  are 
in  the  expectation  of  ultimately  deriving  a  benefit 
from  it,  and  anticipate  with  solicitude  the  con- 
nexion of  Lake  Michigan  with  the  Illinois  River, 
by  which  a  water  communication  will  be  formed 
between  Missouri  and  the  city  of  New-York.,  by 
way  of  Detroit,  Buffalo,  and  Utica.  The  river  Plein, 
the  main  head  fork  of  Illinois,  approaches  so  near 
the  head  of  Chicago  River,  which  enters  Lake 
Michigan  at  Fort  Dearborn,  that  a  communication 
exists  in  high  water.  I  conversed  with  a  trader 
last  summer  at  St.  Louis,  who  had  come  through 
in  the  spring,  and  afterwards  saw  his  boat  lying  at 
the  wharf.  It  carried  from  4  to  6  tons,  and  was 
built  skiff-fashion,  with  a  flat  bottom.     He  repre- 

6 


42 

sented  the  undertaking  as  easy  of  execution,  not 
requiring  an  artificial  cut  of  more  than  2  miles, 
and  this  through  an  alluvial  soil.  The  roads 
through  the  mine  tract  are  generally  good,  the 
mineral  soil  is  well  adapted  for  a  road,  and  little 
labour  is  required  to  keep  it  in  repair  When 
heavy  and  long  continued  rains  have  softened  the 
ground,  and  the  roads  become  gullied,  such  is  the 
open  nature  of  the  woods,  that  the  waggoner  may 
drive  aside,  and  pursue  his  way  with  very  little 
inconvenience.  From  this  circumstance  the  main 
roads  from  Herculaneum  and  St.  Genevieve  to  the 
mines,  have  assumed  a  surprising  width.  A  wag- 
gon loaded  with  lead,  (and  these  are  the  principal 
ones  who  make  use  of  the  road)  is  particularly  in- 
jurious in  cutting  up  a  road.  On  passing  over  a 
stick  or  stone  it  never  rebounds,  it  is  a  dead  fall, 
and  it  generally  sinks  to  the  strata  of  gravel. 
There  are  few  bridges ;  that  over  the  Joachim  near 
Herculaneum,  is  a  substantial  wooden  bridge. 
Ferries  are  kept  at  St.  Genevieve,  Herculaneum, 
Merrimack,  Vetepush,  St.  Francis,  and  other 
places. 

The  culture  of  fruit  trees,  has  not  received  a 
general  attention  in  this  country,  if  we  except  the 
Peach  tree,  which  is  found  on  almost  every  farm, 
and  succeeds  very  well.  The  apple  tree  does 
very  well  where  it  has  been  tried,  and  some  ex- 
periments also  show  the  soil  and  climate  adapted 
for  Quince,  Plum,  and  Cherry. 

The  country  is  also  represented  as  adapted  to 
the  growth  of  Indigo.  A  gentleman  of  Bellevieu 
(Mr.  Hutchins)  raised  this  plant  last  summer  in 


43 

great  perfection.  Madder,  as  ^s  said,  also  suc- 
ceeds. That  useful  vine, .the  Bop.  grows  sn'.ni- 
taneously  on  the  bottom  lands,  and  is  to  be  seen 
in  great  abundance,  in  the  proper  season,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Platten,  Apple  Creek,  and  other 
places. 

The  manufactures  of  the  Mine  country,  in  addi- 
tion to  its  grand  staple,  Lead,  are  not  numerous. 
There  are  3  shot  towers,  a  like  number  of  tan- 
yards,  several  flouring  mills,  and  distilleries,  and 
a  few  saw  mills,  where  pine  and  oak  boards  and 
plank  are  made.  There  are  several  saltpetre 
caves  worked,  1  powder  mill,  and  pretty  exten- 
sive salt  works  on  Saline  creek,  St.  Genevieve 
county.  There  are  also  2  other  salt  works  in 
Jefferson  county,  but  they  are  on  a  smaller  scale. 
Some  tow  cloth  is  made  in  families,  and  also  cot- 
ton cloth  for  summer  wear,  and  a  carding  machine 
and  fulling  and  clothiers'  works,  have  lately  been 
erected  on  Big  River. 

The  exports  of  Missouri  Territory  may  be  set. 
down  as  follows : 


Pig  and  Bar  Lead, 

Horses, 

Shot,  of  all  sizes, 

Beef, 

Whiskey, 

Pork, 

Flour, 

Dried  Venison, 

Wheat, 

Deer  Skins, 

Corn, 

Furs  and  Peltries, 

Hemp, 

Butter, 

Flax, 

Pecans. 

Tow  Cloth, 

When  its  resources  are 

properly  drawn  forth. 

the  list  will  be  greatly  augmented,  and  §ifew  years 

44 


will  add  the  following  articles,  some  exportation^ 
of  which  have  already  taken  place  : 


Iron, 

Zinc, 

Manganese, 

Sulphur, 

Arsenic, 

Antimony, 

Oil  Stones, 

Alum, 

Chalk, 

Plumbago, 

Flints, 


Nitre, 

Salt, 

Marble, 

Emery, 

Red  Chalk, 

Pumice, 

Soap  Stone, 

Gypsum, 

Serpentine, 

Tobacco, 

Hops. 


Commerce  is  now  carried  on  chiefly  with  the 
cities  of  New-Orleans,  Philadelphia,  New-York, 
and  Pittsburgh.  The  lead  is  taken  down  the 
Mississippi  in  boats  to  New-Orleans,  and  there 
either  sold,  or  shipped  to  Philadelphia  or  New- 
York.  The  'dry  goods  with  which  this  country 
is  supplied  are  principally  purchased  at  Philadel- 
phia, and  waggoned  across  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains to  Pittsburg,  and  thence  taken  down  the  Ohio 
and  up  the  Mississippi  in  boats.  The  groceries 
are  principally  purchased  at  New-Orleans,  and 
brought  up  in  boats.  Steam  Boats  have  lately 
engrossed  this  business,  and  should  the)  continue 
to  multiply  at  the  rate  now  indicated,  will  in  a  few 
years  throw  keel  boats  and  barges  entirely  out  of 
the  question.*  Cutlery,  glass  ware,  nails,  red  and 
white  lead,  castings,  rope,  paper,  carpenters'  and 


*  A  list  of  Steam  boats  on  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributary  streams,  will 
be  found  in  the  miscellaneous  nart  of  this  work. 


45 

blacksmiths'  tools,  plough  irons,  and  innumerable 
other  works  in  brass,  iron,  and  copper,  are  brought 
from  Pittsburgh.  Drugs,  medicines,  and  dye 
stuffs,  and  sometimes  dry  goods;  particularly  for 
the  Indian  trade,  are  chiefly  laid  in  at  New-York, 
and  thence  shipped  to  New-Orleans.  This  trade 
has  probably  increased  within  late  years. 

The  principal  towns  in  the  district  of  the  Lead 
mines  are,  St.  Genevieve,  Herculaneum,  Potosi, 
and  Mine  a  Burton,  and  St.  Michael.  Some  ac- 
count may  be  given  of  each  of  these. 

St.  Genevieve  is  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Mississippi,  120  miles   above  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio,  and  60  miles  below  St.  Louis.     The  town, 
consisting  of  about  300  houses,  including  a  Roman 
Catholic  chapel,  lies  a  mile  from  the  landing  at  the      / 
mouth  of  the  Gabbarie,  and  on  ground  which  is 
handsomely   elevated.      Immediately   below   the 
town  commences  the  great  field,  one  of  the  richest 
tracts  of  bottom  lands  on  the  Mississippi.     It  ex- 
tends five  miles  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  and 
is  still  held  in  common.     This  town  was  originally 
settled  by  the  French  from  Kaskaskia,  and  although 
a  considerable  part  of  the  inhabitants  are  now 
Americans,  the  French  character  still  predomi- 
nates.    This  is  particularly  observable  in  their 
amusements,    dress,    morals,   and   religion.      St. 
Genevieve  is  one  of  the  principal  lead  markets, 
and  before  the  settlement  of  Herculaneum,  all  the 
lead  made  at  the  mines  was  shipped  from  this 
place.    It  is  situated  30  miles  below  Herculaneum, 
is  45  miles  distant  from  Potosi,  30  from  mine  La 
Motte,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  Bryan's 


4b 

mines  and  mine  a  Joe.  Kaskaskia,  the  present 
seat  of  government  for  Illinois,  is  situated  7  miles 
from  St.  Genevieve,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river. 

Herculaneum,  lies  on  a  high  bank  of  the  Missis- 
sippi at  the  mouth  of  Joachim  creek,  and  at  equal 
distances  from  St.  Genevieve  and  St.  Louis.     This 
town  has  been  selected  as  the  seat  of  justice  for 
the  new  county  of  Jefferson,  and   being  eommo- 
diously  situated  for  business,   and  several  miles 
nearer  to  the  mines,  is  thought  to  possess  advan- 
tages on  that  account.     The  town  now  consists  of 
between  30  and  40  houses,  including  a  court-house 
and  jail,  4  stores,  a  post  office,  and  school.    There 
is  also  a  commodious  warehouse  for  storing  lead 
and  merchandise,  kept  by  Elias  Bates,  and  the 
town  enjoys  a  considerable  share  of  the  lead  trade, 
which  has  increased  within  a  few  years.     In  the 
vicinity  of  the  town  are  3  shot  towers,  where  shot 
is  made  by  letting  it  fall  down  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  which  here  consist  of  high  bluffs  of 
limestone   rock.      The   scites   chosen   for   these 
towers  is  where  the  top  of  the  rock  overhangs  the 
bottom  a  little.     On  this  a  building  is  erected,  and 
other  works  prepared  for  smelting  and  casting  the 
lead,  and  they  are  dropped  through  copper  sieves 
into  a  receptacle  with  water  below,  where  there  is 
another  building,  and  the  operation  of  polishing  is 
performed.     For  a  detailed  account  of  the  pro- 
cesses of  making  shot  as  practised  here,  see  sec- 
tion VI.  on  the  uses  of  lead. 

The  following  statement,  of  lead  exported  from 
Herculaneum,  from  December  31st,  1816,  to  June. 


47 

1818,  a  period  of  18  months,  places  its  advantages 
in  a  handsome  light.  It  is  copied  from  an  official 
paper  published  by  the  proprietors  of  the  town. 

2,008,404  lbs.  of  Pig  and  bar  lead, 
deposited  at,  and  exported  from 
Elias  Bates'  warehouse $100,420.00 

517,495  lbs.  of  lead,  deposited  with 
and  shipped  by  sundry  other  per- 
sons         25,874.75 

668,350  lbs.  of  Patent  shot,  manu- 
factured by  Elias  Bates,  and  C. 
Wilt   46,784.50 

5,500  barrels  of  Flour,  manufac- 
tured by  J.  Horine,  A.  Van  Zandt, 
and  J.  Bryan    41,250.00 

44,924  gallons  of  Whiskey,  manu- 
factured by  Horine,  Van  Zandt, 
and  Bryan 32J92.62J 

500  bushels  of  Wheat,  shipped  for 

N.  Orleans    500.00 

400  barrels  of  Beef  and  Pork 5,000.00 

40,000  wt.  of  Bacon 4,000.00 

66,000  feet  of   Pine    boards,    from 

Washington  County 2,640.00 

214,000  ft.  of  Oak  boards  and  scant- 

ling 64,200.00 

60,000  lbs.  of  Gunpowder,  manu- 
factured by  Ashley  &  Brown, 
Washington  County 30,000.0u 

$352,861.87^ 


There  are,  within  4  miles  of  Herculaneum,  "J, 
saw  mills,  2  grist  mills,  3  distilleries,  and  a  tan 
yard,  where  considerable  quantities  of  leather  are 
made.  It  is  situated  36  miles  from  Mine  a  Burton, 
30  from  mine  Shibboleth,  25  from  Bryan's  mines, 
and  25  from  Richwood's. 

Potest,  and  Mine  a  Burton,  form  one  connected 
village,  which  may  altogether  consist  of  80  build- 
ings, including  a  court  house,  jail,  and  academy. 
When  the  County  of  Washington  was  erected  by 
a  division  of  St.  Genevieve,  a  tract  of  land  of  40 
acres  was  laid  off  for  the  county  seat,  and  named 
Potosi.  This  lies  on  a  handsome  eminence  a 
little  north  of  the  principal  mines,  and  separated 
only  from  mine  a  Burton  by  the  mine  creek. 
This  village  is  pleasantly  situated  in  the  centre 
of  the  mining  district,  and  surrounded  also  by 
several  fine  bodies  of  lands.  It  is  built  in  a  bet- 
ter style  than  the  villages  in  the  country  generally, 
has  a  neat  and  thriving  appearance,  and  contains 
several  handsome  edifices.  Among  these  are  the 
seat  of  M.  Austin,  Esq.  and  the  court  house,  a 
building  erected  at  an  expense  of  $7000,  and 
decorated  with  columns  of  the  Doric  order.  It 
has  3  stores,  2  distilleries,  (one  by  steam)  2  flour 
mills,  9  lead  furnaces,  1  saw  mill,  and  a  post 
office,  where  a  mail  from  St.  Genevieve  and  St. 
Louis  is  received  once  a  week,  one  from  Arkan- 
saw  once  a  month,  and  one  from  Boon's  Lick  on 
the  Missouri,  once  a  fortnight.  It  is  65  miles  dis- 
tant from  St.  Louis,  45  from  St.  Genevieve,  36 
from  Herculaneum,  and  45  from  St.  Michael.  It 
lies  in  the  centre  of  about  40  lead  mines,  all  situ- 


49 

ated  within  a  circle  of  20  miles.  The  quantity  of 
lead  made  at  Mine  a  Burton  has  been  very  great. 
In  a  report  made  by  Mr.  Austin  to  the  commis- 
sioner of  the  general  land  office,  in  1816,  the  fol- 
lowing estimate  of  the  quantity  of  lead  made,  is 
given : 

From  1798  to  1 304,  360,000  lbs.  per  ann 2,160,000 

1804        1808,800,000  3,200,000 

1808       1816,500,000  4,000,000 

Total  amount  for  18  years 9,360,000 

See  the  perspective  view  of  this  village  facing 
the  title  page. 

St.  Michael  is  situated  on  a  plain  on  Village 
Creek,  which  falls  into  the  river  St.  Francis  a  mile 
below.  It  is  an  old  French  village,  of  about  fifty 
houses,  including  several  stores,  and  a  post  office  ; 
andlies  in  the  centre  of  the  richest  farmingdistrictin 
Madison  county.  The  seat  of  justice  for  the  coun- 
ty, has  lately  been  fixed  on  rising  grounds,  about  six 
hundred  yards  south  of  the  village,  and  a  town  laid 
out  there  called  Fredericktoivn.  Several  emigrants 
have  lately  located  themselves  in  St.  Michael,  and 
since  the  county  seat  has  been  fixed  in  its  vicini- 
ty, it  has  assumed  a  thriving  appearance.  The 
Mine  La  Motte  lies  two  miles  north  of  the  village. 

New-Bourbon,  Caledonia,  and  JUadansburgh,  are 
also  towns  of  the  mine  tract,  but  they  are  at  pre- 
sent small.  The  last  two  have  lately  been  laid 
out,  and  bid  fair  to  have  a  rapid  increase. 

Having  now  taken  a  general  survey  of  the  Mine 
country,  there  are  a  few  remarks  which  may  be 
made  on  the  counties  separately. 

7 


50 

St.  Genevieve  County.  The  mineral  productions 
of  this  county  are  lead  and  salt.  Bryan's  mines, 
and  Mine  a  Joe,  are  the  most  noted.  Salt  is  made 
on  Saline  Creek,  a  stream  which  falls  into  the 
Mississippi  eight  or  nine  miles  below  the  great 
field  of  St.  Genevieve.  The  works  are  at  a  village 
called  Madansburgh,  and  are  on  a  respectable 
scale ;  and  much  of  the  salt  consumed  in  the  inr 
terior,  is  the  produce  of  these  works.  The  springs 
are  considered  lasting,  and  the  water  strongly  im- 
pregnated, and  preparations  are  now  in  forward- 
ness to  enlarge  and  improve  the  works. 

There  is  a  large  white  body  of  silicious  sand  in  the 
interior  of  this  county,  and  which,  from  examina- 
tion, I  think  adapted  for  the  manufacture  of  flint 
glass.  It  lies  eight  miles  on  the  road  to  Potosi, 
where  it  is  found  in  a  cave  of  unexplored  extent. 
The  sand  is  in  the  aggregated  form,  i.  e.  sand 
stone  ;  is  very  white,  easily  crushed  between  the 
fingers,  and  falls  into  a  very  fine,  even-grained, 
transparent,  quartzose  sand.  It  appears  to  me, 
from  external  character,  to  possess  the  property 
of  easy  fusibility,  one  of  the  most  desirable  quali- 
ties in  glass-sand ;  and  from  an  acquaintance  with 
the  subject,  1  am  led  to  conclude,  that  it  will  prove 
a  very  valuable  material  in  the  manufacture. 

One  of  the  most  noted  bodies  of  farming  land 
in  St.  Genevieve  county,  is  Bois  Brula  Bottom,  ex- 
tending for  near  twenty  miles  on  the  margin  of  the 
Mississippi.  This  bottom  is  covered  with  the 
heaviest  growth  of  trees,  shrubs  and  vises,  such 
as  are  peculiar  to  the  richest  Ohio  bottoms.  The 
settlements  on  it,  are  considerable,  and  daily  in- 


51 

creasing,  and  it  yields  in  perfection  most  of  the 
productions  which  have  already  been  mentioned 
as  the  produce  of  the  mine  country,  particularly 
corn,  which  attains  an  almost  incredible  height, 
and  yields  a  heavy  crop. 

Tile  principal  farming  tracts  in  the  interior, 
are  Murphy's  Settlement,  and  Cook's  Settlement,  both 
extending  along  the  main  road  that  leads  from 
St.  Louis  to  Arkansaw  and  Red  River.  At  Mur- 
phy's Settlement  there  is  a  post  office.  This  coun- 
ty sends  five  members  to  the  territorial  legislature. 

Washington  County.  This  county,  although  the 
seat  of  the  principal  lead  mines,  is  at  the  same 
time  not  deficient  in  farming  land.  Bellevue, 
Stout's  Settlement,  Richwoods,  and  Old  mines,  may 
be  mentioned  as  instances  of  this.  The  southern 
banks  of  the  Merrimack,  Big  River,  and  Fourche 
a  Courtois,  also  yield  handsome  tracts  of  the  most 
fertile  bottom  lands.  The  lands  in  Bellevue,  are 
particularly  noted  for  their  fertility,  beauty,  and 
extent,  and  the  population  in  this  township  is  nu- 
merous, and  very  rapidly  increasing.  Caledonia 
is  in  this  township,  where  several  buildings  are 
now  going  up,  and  among  them,  a  house  for  pub- 
lic worship.  Stout's  settlement,  lies  south  of  this, 
on  the  tributary  waters  of  the  St.  Francis,  and  is 
represented  as  a  body  of  choice  land.  On  the 
Fourche  a  Courtois  there  are  a  number  of  planta- 
tions, and  the  lands  will  admit  of  many  more.  A 
tract  of  bottom  land  now  in  the  possession  of  the 
Delaware  and  Shawnee  Indians,  is  often  noticed 
for  its  beauty  and  fertility.  Big  River,  in  its 
whole  course,  which  is  long  and  devious,  and  al- 


52 

most  completelysubtends  the  north,  east,  and  south 
boundaries  of  Washington  county,  affords  the  finest 
of  farming  lands.  Such  are  the  principal  farming 
tracts  of  this  county,  which  although  detached, 
with  ridges  of  poor  land  intervening ;  yet  taken 
in  the  aggregate,  bear  a  respectable  proportion  to 
its  whole  number  of  square  miles,  and  exalt  its  ag- 
ricultural character  above  that  of  the  other  mining 
counties,  St.  Genevieve  excepted. 

The  traveller  can  no  where  go  into  Washington 
county,  keeping  the  main  roads,  without  passing 
over  some  of  the  most  sterile  soil  in  it.  For  the 
sake  of  getting  good  roads,  they  have  been  carried 
along  the  tops  of  the  most  sterile  flinty  ridges, 
running  in  the  required  direction,  and  when  one 
deviated  too  far,  it  has  been  left,  and  another  as- 
cended. This  is  the  character  of  the  country ;  it 
lies  rolling,  and  is  in  no  places  better  instanced, 
than  in  the  great  roads  from  St.  Genevieve  and 
Herculaneum  to  the  mines.  The  traveller  riding 
along  these,  is  so  impressed  with  the  almost  un- 
varied barrenness  of  the  county,  that  by  the  time 
he  reaches  Potosi,  he  is  ready  to  exclaim  against 
it,  and  without  stopping  to  inquire  into  its  particu- 
lar advantages,  rides  back  with  the  most  unfavour- 
able impressions.  From  such  causes  it  has  gene- 
rally been  underrated  by  former  tourists  and 
travellers,  who  may  have  had  but  a  few  moments 
to  spare,  and  even  improved  those  by  making 
inquiries  of  the  most  illiterate  part  of  community. 
A  man  who  merely  rides  through  a  country,  can- 
not be  expected  to  publish  much  valuable  infor- 
mation concerning  it.     The  inquiry  of  a  moment. 


53 

the  surmises  of  ingenuity,  and  the  probability  of 
things,  can  never  atone  for  sound  statistical  in- 
formation, practical  remarks,  and  acknowledged 
facts.  It  is  necessary  to  enter  into  details,  before 
we  can  arrive  at  a  general  result — to  establish 
small  facts  in  order  to  render  larger  ones  certain— 
to  view  in  detached  bodies,  as  well  as  collectively, 
and  indeed  before  we  can  pretend  to  decide  on 
the  character  of  a  country  to  collect,  compare, 
and  contrast  all  its  advantages  and  all  its  disad- 
vantages ;  and  this  cannot  be  done  in  a  moment. 
A  man  may  have  a  glimpse,  and  not  a  view — he 
may  see,  and  yet  not  understand — he  may  believe, 
and  yet  be  mistaken.  It  is  from  these  facts,  and 
knowing  how  deep  first  impressions,  however  er- 
roneous, sink,  that  I  have  been  induced  to  hint  at 
the  superficial  accounts  of  preceding  tourists  ;  and 
however  exceptionable  the  remark  may  be  in  a 
general  sense,  it  applies  forcibly  in  a  particular 
one.  I  allude  to  some  works  on  the  western  coun- 
try now  generally  read  at  the  eastward — to  some 
who  are  even  referred  to  as  text  books — to  la- 
bours of  mercenary  pamphleteers,  and  catch-penny 
printers,  where  we  are  served  up  with  surmises 
instead  of  facts,  with  bloated  descriptions  instead 
of  simple  accounts;  and  the  authors  of  which. 
in  many  instances,  know  not  the  countries  they 
describe,  and  have  neither  admired  the  beauties, 
or  shrunk  at  the  deformities,  which  they  picture. 

In  adverting  to  the  agricultural  character  of  this 
county,  its  advantages  for  raising  cattle,  sheep, 
horses,  and  hogs,  may  claim  particular  attention. 
The  growth  of  prairie  grass  in  the  open  post  oak 


54 

Woods  and  prairies,  is  of  the  most  luxuriant  kind, 
and  stock  may  be  raised  at  a  trifling  expense. 
The  barrens  are  also  covered  with  a  profusion  of 
wild  fruits,  (grapes  particularly)  and  wild  flowers, 
and  in  the  fall  there  is  abundance  of  acorns,  on 
which  hogs  fatten.  Its  mineral  productions,  in 
addition  to  lead,  are  zinc,  iron,  ochre,  red  chalk, 
saltpetre,  sulphur,  alum,  and  salt.  There  is  in  the 
township  of  Belle vue  a  salt  lick  called  Chicago, 
where  some  attempts  have  been  made  to  find  salt, 
but  the  rock  was  only  penetrated  about  10  feet, 
and  quite  brackish  water  found  at  that  depth. 
The  lick  is  on  public  land,  and  as  no  one  will  run 
the  risk  of  losing  his  labour,  it  remains  unex- 
plored ;  little  doubt,  however,  can  exist,  that  salt 
water  would  be  found  at  no  great  depth.  There  is 
also  in  Bellevue  a  very  extensive  Buffalo  Lick, 
called  Bates'  Lick,  (being  partly  on  a  tract  of  land 
owned  by  Moses  Bates)  which  covers  about  12 
acres  of  ground,  and  is  in  some  places  10  or  12  feet 
deep.  Strong  indications  of  salt  have  been  found 
at  this  place. 

Bellevue  abounds  in  granite  and  iron  ore,  par- 
ticularly on  its  southern  boundary,  which  is  the 
poorest  part  of  it;  and  on  Cedar  creek,  which  is  a 
fork  of  Big  River.  A  piece  of  antimony  was  found 
in  this  part  of  the  township  several  years  ago,  but 
no  body  of  it  has  yet  been  brought  to  light.  There 
is  a  singular  cave  where  alum  is  procured  near 
McCormick's. 

The  iron  of  Bellevue  is  a  subject  of  universal 
notoriety.  In  the  richness  of  the  ore,  and  extent 
of  the  beds  or  mines,  it  is  no  where  paralleled. 


53 

The  most  noted  place  is  called  the  Iron  Mountain^ 
where  the  ore  is  piled  in  such  enormous  masses 
as  to  constitute  the  entire  southern  extremity  of  a 
lofty  ridge,  which  is  elevated  5  or  600  feet  above 
the  plain.  Immediately  at  its  base  commences  a 
tract  of  the  richest  bottom  lands,  through  which  a 
stream  called  Chartier  Creek  meanders,  and  pass- 
ing round  the  western  side  of  the  mountain,  falls 
into  Cedar  Creek  a  few  miles  below.  A  seat  for 
working  the  ore  is  situated  about  7  miles  to  the 
N.  W.  on  Cedar  Creek,  and  another  sufficient  to 
drive  any  number  of  forges  8  miles  distant  on  Big 
River.  Within  2  miles  from  this,  on  a  small  creek, 
there  is  a  sufficient  fall  and  plenty  of  water  for 
establishing  an  extensive  foundery. 

The  iron  mountain  is  claimed  under  a  conces- 
sion to  Col.  Valley,  the  last  Spanish  commandant 
at  St.  Genevieve,  but  has  not  been  confirmed  by 
the  American  government,  and  some  doubts  are 
entertained  whether  it  will. 

Respecting  the  quality  of  the  ore,  it  may  be 
added,  that  it  is  probably  of  the  richest  kind,  and 
such  as  is  well  adapted  for  the  manufacture  of 
bar  iron.  It  is  very  heavy  and  brilliant,  and  is  of 
that  kind  denominated  micaceous  oxyd  of  iron,  in 
mineralogy.  Mr.  Miller,  an  iron-master  of  Au- 
gusta county,  Virginia,  on  visiting  this  place  last 
fall,  thought  the  ore  of  an  excellent  quality,  and 
seemed  absorbed  in  astonishment  by  the  immensi- 
ty of  the  body.  The  ore  has  been  tried  by  Maj. 
J.  Hawkins  of  Potosi :  it  ran  easily  in  a  slag  fur- 
nace, and  without  any  flux ;  and  Mr.  Robert  C. 
Bruffey,  an  intelligent  mechanic  of  the  same  place, 


56 

has  experimented  upon  the  iron  obtained  from 
the  ore,  by  heating,  hammering,  hardening,  &c. 
He  found  it  very  malleable,  and  easily  worked, 
and  considers  it  iron  of  the  best  quality. 

There  is  another  remarkable  body  of  iron  ore, 
in  Stout's  settlement,  5  miles  west  of  the  Iron 
Mountain,  scarcely  inferior  to  it  either  in  the  ex- 
tent or  riches  of  ore.  It  has  also  a  seat  for  water 
works  near  it.  Several  other  beds  exist  in  the 
same  neighbourhood,  but  none  equal  to  the  sur- 
prising bodies  already  mentioned. 

Ores  of  zinc  are  found  at  several  of  the  lead 
mines  in  Washington;  the  principal  bodies  are  at 
Mine  Renault,  and  Elliott's  mines.  It  is  also  fre- 
quently met  with  at  the  numerous  diggings  on  the 
mineral  fork.  I  have  some  specimens  from  Brushy- 
run,  and  New  Diggings,  both  within  2  miles  of 
Potosi.  It  is  also  occasionally  met  with  in  small 
bodies,  at  several  other  mines  in  this  county;  and 
considering  the  rarity  of  this  metal  in  America, 
and  its  extensive  usefulness,  which  is  yearly  in- 
creasing, I  have  no  doubt  it  will  shortly  attract 
the  attention  of  some  capitalist,  and  become  a 
source  of  much  profit.  The  ore  generally  accom- 
panies the  lead  ;  is  of  that  kind  called  Blende  by 
mineralogists,  and  is  the  sulphuret  of  Zinc  of  chemis- 
try. 

In  addition  to  the  amount  of  lead  annually  made 
in  Washington  county,  there  is  a  considerable 
quantity  of  flour,  whiskey,  and  other  articles  ma- 
nufactured.    The  following  is  a  list  of  the  differ- 


07 

^nt  mines   and   manufactories   now   established. 
(Feb.  1819.) 

33  Lead  Mines, 

34  Lead  Furnaces, 
16  Grist  Mills, 

8  Saw  Mills, 
10  Distilleries,  (one  by  steam) 
3  Salt  petre  caves,  (worked) 
1  Powder  Mill, 
1  Alum  cave,  (not  worked) 
6  principal  Iron  Mines,  (not  worked) 
1  Tan  yard. 
Washington  sends  4  members  to  the  Legisla- 
ture. 

Madison  County.     This  is  a  small  county  lately 
erected  from  a  division  of  St.  Genevieve  and  Cape 
Girardeau,  and  forming  the  southern  limits  of  the 
mine  tract.     Its  mineral  products  are  lead,  iron, 
granite,  and  Plumbago.     There  is  but  one  lead 
mine  in  the  county ;  it  is  mine  La  Motte.     Lead 
has,  however,  been  found  in  several  other  places, 
though  no  mines  have  been  opened.     The  granite 
is  employed  for  mill  stones,  and  bears  the  test  of 
experiment.     The  only  vein  of  granitic  rock  in 
the  Mine  country,  (so  far  as  1  have  had  opportu- 
nity to  observe,)   passes  across  the  south  western 
fend   of  this   county,    and    runs    into    Bellevue, 
(W.  Co.)     It  is  4  or  5  miles  wide,  and  extends  al- 
together from  20  to  30  miles  in  a  direction  from 
S.  E.  to  N.  W.   Considering  the  rarity  of  this  rock, 
and  the  strong  geognostic  affinity  which  some  of 
the  more  valuable  metals  have  for  it,  it  is  not  un- 
reasonable to  suppose  that  such  metals  may  exist 

8 


58 

in  it,  and  which  a  better  acquaintance  with  the 
country  may  discover.  On  a  visit  there  lately,  I 
found  several  rare  and  beautiful  specimens  of 
greenstone  porphyry  ;  the  colour  a  greenish  black, 
spotted  with  flesh  red,  passing  into  green  on  the 
edges.  Unmagnetical  pyrites  of  iron  is  common, 
so  is  quartz,  and  several  spars.  The  principal 
district  of  good  farming  land  in  this  county  lies 
along  village  creek,  and  the  eastern  shore  of  the 
St.  Francis,  which  runs  through  this  county  in  a 
course  nearly  north  and  south.  Thi3  river  enters 
the  Mississippi  500  miles  below,  pursuing  its 
meandering,  and  is  about  half  that  distance  in  a 
direct  line.  A  raft  of  trees,  brush,  &c.  obstructs 
the  navigation  for  boats,  which  would  otherwise 
be  uninterrupted  to  within  14  miles  of  St.  Michael, 
and  whenever  this  is  removed,  the  produce  of  this 
county  will  find  a  ready  way  to  New-Orleans,  and 
foreign  merchandise  be  brought  up  at  a  cheaper 
rate.  Goods  are  now  wagoned  over  from  St.  Ge- 
nevieve. Madison  is  entitled  to  send  one  member 
to  the  Territorial  Legislature. 

Jefferson  County.  The  general  mineralogical 
character  of  Jefferson  county,  though  less  flatter- 
ing than  the  preceding,  is  nevertheless  interesting. 
The  rock  formations  in  this  county  are,  so  far  as 
observed,  chiefly  limestone,  which,  although  less 
metalliferous  than  granite,  yet  yields  several  of 
the  useful,  and  in  some  cases,  the  precious  metals. 
It  runs  into  a  kind  of  marble  at  Herculaneum, 
which  is  overlaid  by  a  stratum  of  secondary  lime- 
stone, bearing  impressions  of  marine  shells,  ani- 
malcula,  &c.     The  Rock  Fort,  a  remarkable  ledge 


59 


on  the  Mine  a  Burton  road,  consists  of  a  coarse 
grey  sand  stone,  and  the  vein  may  be  traced  S.  as 
far  as  Rock  Creek,  a  distance  of  60  miles.  Lead 
has  been  found  in  several  places  in  this  county,  it 
has  only  been  worked  at  Gray's  mine,  and  Mc Kane's 
mine,  the  latter  situated  on  Dry  Creek,  a  stream 
running  into  Big  River  from  the  Jefferson  side 
Lead  has  further  been  found  on  the  head  of  Joa- 
chim Creek,  18  miles  on  the  road  to  Potosi ;  on 
Col.  Hammond's  plantation,  4  miles  from  Hercu- 
laneum ;  on  the  Platten  near  McCormick's ;  and 
on  the  Joachim  near  Conner's.  Iron  ore  is  found 
in  Big  River  township,  near  the  ford  at  Todd's, 
and  on  Platten  and  Sandy  Creeks.  Salt  was  for- 
merly made  at  works  on  the  Merrimack.  The 
water  is  represented  to  be  strong,  but  the  works 
have  been  suffered  to  lie  idle,  in  consequence,  it  is 
understood,  of  a  dispute  respecting  the  land  title. 
Other  works  8  or  9  miles  from  Herculaneum  on 
the  road  to  St.  Louis,  are  now  in  operation,  and 
salt  of  a  good  quality  manufactured. 

The  sulphur  springs  in  J  efferson  county  are  some- 
times resorted  to  by  persons  suffering  from  bilious 
complaints.  They  are  thought  to  give  relief  in 
such  cases,  and  an  idea  of  their  beneficial  effects 
is  generally  prevalent  among  the  inhabitants, 
who  drink  the  water  in  large  quantity.  No  analy- 
sis has  been  made  to  determine  the  medicinal 
properties  of  this  water.  It  appears  to  me  to  be 
less  impregnated  with  sulphur  than  those  I  have 
been  acquainted  with  in  the  Genesee  country, 
New- York. 

Jefferson  county  has  several  saw  and  grist  mills. 


60 

3  shot  manufactories,  a  tan  yard,  and  3  distille- 
ries. The  principal  farming  districts  are  the  banks 
of  the  Flatten,  Joachim,  and  Sandy  Creeks.  The 
southern  shore  of  the  Merrimack  and  the  eastern 
banks  of  Big  River  also  afford  good  lands.  This 
county  is  represented  in  the  Legislature  by  one 
member. 

In  this  general  outline  I  lave  confined  my  re- 
marks to  that  district  of  country  extending  from 
the  Mine  La  Motte  on  the  St.  Francis,  to  the  Rich- 
woods  on  the  Merrimack,  and  from  the  Mississip- 
pi west  to  the  Fourche  a  Courtois,  making  an  ob- 
long square  of  about  70  miles  by  45,  and  compris- 
ing a  tract  of  a  little  upwards  of  3,000  square 
miles;  but  although  this  is  properly  speaking  the 
seat  of  the  lead  mines,  ores  of  lead  have  been 
found  at  several  other  places,  and  we  are  warrant- 
ed in  the  conclusion,  that  when  the  interior  comes 
to  be  properly  explored,  the  lead  district  will  be 
found  much  larger;  and  I  doubt  not  but  some  of 
the  richest  mines  remain  yet  undiscovered. 

I  have  considered  Madison  County  as  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  the  mine  tract,  but  lead  ore  has 
been  found  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Wayne,  on 
Otter  Creek,  and  recently  it  has  been  discovered 
on  Strawberry  River,  in  Lawrence  county.  It  is 
also  found  on  the  head  waters  of  White  River,  on 
James  River,  on  the  head  of  the  Merrimack,  on  the 
Arkansaw,  Gasconade,  Osage,  and  Mine  River  of 
the  Missouri,  and  also  on  the  Desmoine  of  the 
Mississippi ;  but  the  quantity  has  been  little  at 
many  of  these  places,  and  no  furnaces  for  smelting 
in  the  large  way  have  been  erected.   The  appear- 


ances  in  some  places  are  however  flattering,  and 
such  as  to  warrant  the  expenses  of  searching  for 
bodies  of  the  ore.  On  the  Arkansaw  in  particular 
the  quantity  of  ore  in  view  is  represented  as  very 
great,  and  from  a  series  of  experiments  made  by 
Messrs.  La  Fitte  and  Bronsheaux  of  New-Orleans, 
the  ore  is  found  to  contain  a  sufficient  per  cent,  of 
silver  to  render  the  separation  in  the  large  way  a 
work  of  profit. 

The  mineralogical  character  of  the  country  on 

James  River*  is  also  such  as  to  render  it  extremely 

probable,  that  large  bodies  of  lead  exist  in  that 

quarter.     This  stream  is  one  of  the  head  forks  of 

White  River,  entering  from  the  north  west,  and  on 

a  tour  I  lately  made  through  that  country,  I  brought 

away  samples  ot  lead  ore  which  bear  a  comparison 

with  the  best  Mine  a  Burton  ores ;  and  as  I  since 

find  on  assay,  they  are  equally  rich.     Lead  has 

also  been  found  at  the  Bull  Shoals,  and  on  Trimble's 

plantation  on  White  River,  but  no  pains  have  been 

taken  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  the  ore.     At  the 

former  place  it  is  found  adhering  to  the  rock  on 

the  margin  of  the  river,  and  accompanied  by  such 

stony  substances  as  are  common  at  the  lead  mines. 

The  place  is  further  rendered  interesting  by  some 

remains  of  ancient  works  found  in  the  banks  of  the 

river,  which  consists  of  alluvial  soil,  15  or  20  feet 

deep,  reposing  on  limestone  rock.     In  this  bank 

pieces  of  metallic  lead*  of  earthen  pots,  &c.  have  been 

discovered  imbedded  in  the  firmest  part  of  the  soil, 

at  the  depth  of  15  feet ;  the  surface  being  covered 

*  For  an  account  of  this  stream,  see  the    annexed  description  of  White 
River, 


62 

by  a  heavy  growth  of  forest  trees.  A  few  miles 
lower  down,  Indian  arrow  heads  chipped  out  of 
flint,  are  found  imbedded  in  the  bank  in  the  same 
situation,  accompanied  by  small  animal  bones.  In 
descending  the  river  a  month  ago,  (Jan.  18 19.)  I 
stopped  at  this  place,  and  brought  with  me  a  bit  of 
lead  in  the  metallic  state,  dug  out  of  the  earth,  and 
which  is  manifestly  the  production  of  art.  It  is  not 
perfectly  malleable,  though  it  may  be  cut  with  a 
knife. 

The  lead  mines  at  Prairie  du  Chien,  are  situated 
in  the  North  Western  Territory,  and  do  not  fall 
within  the  view  here  proposed  to  be  given.  It 
may  however  be  remarked,  that  they  are  consider- 
ed the  richest  yet  found.  They  are  still  in  the 
possession  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  the  original 
owners  of  the  soil,  by  whom  they  are  worked  in  a 
very  imperfect  manner.  They  were  formerly 
wrought  by  M.  Dubuque,  under  the  authority  of  a 
Spanish  grant,  and  with  consent  of  the  Indians, 
but  since  his  death  they  have  manifested  an  un- 
willingness to  allow  any  white  man  to  work 
them,  and  appear  to  entertain  a  high  sense  of 
their  value.  M.  Dubuque  dying  in  debt,  the 
mines  were  afterwards  sold  for  the  benefit  of  his 
creditors,  but  the  Indians  denied  all  former  con- 
cessions, and  thus  a  dispute  originated,  which  is 
still  unsettled.  According  to  Lieut.  Pike  (the 
late  General  Pike)  they  are  situated  450  miles 
above  St.  Louis,  pursuing  the  meanderings  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  six  miles  from  the  river's 
banks.  From  the  information  given  to  Lieut. 
Pike  by  M.  Dubuque,  the  mines  extend  27  or  28 


63 

leagues  in  length,  with  an  average  breadth  of' 
about  3  miles  ;  they  yield  (on  the  scale  then 
worked,  A.  D.  1805)  from  20  to  40,000  pounds  of 
lead  per  annum,  and  the  crude  ore  yields  seventy- 
five  per  cent,  of  metallic  lead.  It  appears  also 
that  some  copper  accompanies  the  lead,  but  on 
this  head  no  satisfactory  information  is  afforded, 
and  the  mines  have  not  been  explored  with  a 
mineralogical  eye. 

In  order  to  convey  a  just  idea  of  the  mines,  1 
thought  a  general  description  of  the  country  in 
which  they  lie,  would  be  proper : — some  facts 
relative  to  the  soil,  climate,  productions,  state  of 
agriculture,  commerce,  manufactures,  and  general 
mineralogical  character  of  the  country.  To  aid 
the  reader  in  forming  an  estimate  of  these,  is  the 
object  of  the  foregoing  details,  and  I  shall  now 
proceed  to  an  enumeration  of  the  different  mines ; 
the  method  of  working  them ;  the  quality  of  the 
ore ;  accompanying  minerals  ;  annual  produce,  &c 
To  acquire  this  information  I  have  spent  much 
time  and  attention.  I  have  visited  every  mine 
of  consequence,  with  the  view  of  learning  its  par- 
ticular character  and  extent;  and  to  notice  its 
peculiarities.  I  have  made  a  personal  examination 
of  the  whole  mine  tract  during  several  journies, 
undertaken  with  the  sole  view  of  learning  its 
physical  geography— its  principal  streams,  moun- 
tains, mines,  farming  lands,  and  other  prominent 
features.  If,  therefore,  I  have  failed  to  collect  a 
body  of  useful  information  on  the  subject,  it  can 
neither  be  owing  to  a  want  of  industry  or  oppor 
tunity. 


SECTION  III. 

Of  the  different  Mines,  Orcs,a?id  accompanying  Minerals, 


Since  the  first  discovery  of  lead  in  this  territory, 
the  number  of  mines  has  been  constantly  increas- 
ing, and  hardly  a  season  passes,  in  which  some 
new  discovery  is  not  made.     As  the  prospects  of 
ore,  in  such  cases,  are  generally  very  flattering,  a 
number  of  miners  are  soon  drawn  together,  and  the 
older   mines,   are   either   partially    deserted,    or 
wholly  abandoned.     Thus  a  constant  scene  of  bus- 
tle and  discovery  is  kept  up,  and  the  change  of 
situation,  with  the  constant  hope  of  falling  sudden- 
ly on  a  great  body  of  ore,  gives  a  perpetual  relish 
to  their  labours.     The  miners  generally  work  on 
their  own  account;  they  are  constantly  on   the 
alert,  and  when  a  new  discovery  is  announced, 
eagerly  exchange  the  slow  but  sure  profits  of  work- 
ing in  an  old  pit,  for  the  prospect  of  finding  larger 
bodies  near  the  surface.     Many  old  mines   are, 
therefore  abandoned,  which  are  not  exhausted  ; 
the  progress  of  discovery  is  ever  advancing,  and 
when  a  company  of  miners  have  once  forsaken  a 
pit  on  account  of  its  depth,  or  some  difficulties  ex- 
perienced in  raising   the   ore,  they  are   seldom 
known  to  re-occupy  it ;  and   should  the  discovery 
made  not  prove  valuable,  which  is  sometimes  the 
case,  the  concourse  collected,  generally  make  it 
so,  for,  unwilling  to  be  disappointed,  they  fall  to 


6b 

Work,  and  tear  up  the  whole  surrounding  coun- 
try. It  must  be  an  extraordinary  thing  if, 
with  such  a  search,  a  large  body  of  ore  is  not 
found.  The  very  extensive  district  over  which  the 
ore  is  scattered,  affords  ample  scope  for  the  indus- 
trious and  enterprising,  and  keeps  a  number  al- 
ways in  search.  This  alluring  hope — this  constant 
itch  for  discovery,  although  productive  of  the 
greatest  advantages  to  the  public,  has,  at  the  same 
time,  one  pernicious  tendency,  for  much  time  is 
thus  consumed,  in  hunting  new  beds  of  ore,  which 
if  spent  in  labour  upon  the  old  ones,  would  be 
found  infinitely  more  advantageous.  Thus  a  kind 
of  laziness  is  created,  habit  is  powerful,  and  as  the 
pleasures  of  labouring  people  arise  chiefly  from 
their  employments,  many  become  attached  to  this 
kind  of  life,  and  they  who  spend  the  most  time  in 
hunting  for  ore,  spend  the  least  in  digging  it. 

The  following  is  a  catalogue  of  the  Mines.     It 
comprises   those  of  most   note,  which   are   now 
worked,  or  have  been  at  some  former  period. 
Mines.  Situation. 

1 .  Mine  a  Burton,  Burton  Township,  Washington  Co. 

2.  Mine  a  Robino, 

3.  Mine  a  Martin, 

4.  New  Diggings, 

5.  Citadel  Diggings, 
Q.  Perry's  Diggings, 

7.  Hawkins'  Mine, 

8.  Rosebury's  Mine, 

9.  Austin's  Shaft, 

10.  Jones'  Shaft, 

11.  Rocky  Diggings,  (Prairie  de  Roche)  do 

9 


do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

da 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

66 


12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 


Mines.  Situation. 

Gravelly  Diggings,  Burton  Township,  Wash.  Co. 


Brushy-run  Diggings,  do 

Stricklin's  Diggings,  do 

Bibb's  Diggings,  do 

Tebault's  Diggings, (Pinery)  do 

Mine  Astraddle,  do 


21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 

30. 
31. 
32. 
33. 
31. 
35. 
36. 
37. 
38. 
39. 
40. 
41. 
42. 
43. 


J.  Scott's  Diggings, 
T.  Scott's  Diggings, 
Micheaux's  Diggings 
Henry's  Diggings, 
Moreau's  Diggings, 
Tapley's  Diggings, 
Lambert's  Diggings, 
Old  Mines, 
Mine  Shibboleth, 
Elliot's  Mines, 
Belle  Fountaine, 
Cannon's  Mines, 
Little  Diggings, 


do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
Union  Township, 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 


Becquet's  Diggings,  do 

Mine  Liberty,         Liberty  Township, 


Renault's  Mines, 
Miller's  Mine, 
Mine  Silvers, 
Fourche  a  Courtois 
Pratt's  Mine, 
Lebaum's  Mine, 


do 

do 

do 

do 
Big  River, 
Richwoods, 


do 
do 
do 
do 
do 


17. 

18.  Masson's  Diggings,  alias  Partney's,  do    do 

19. 

20. 


do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 


Mine  a  Joe,         Flat  River,  St.  Genevieve  Co 
Bryan's  Mines,   Hazle  Run,  do 

Dogget's  Mine,  do  do 

Mine  La  Motte,  St.  Michael,  Madison  Co. 


67 

ti.  Gray's  Mine,  Big  River,  Jefferson  Co. 

45.  M'  Kane's  Mine,  Dry  Creek,  dp 

The  numerous  mines  or  diggings  in  Washington 
County,  are  chiefly  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  Poto- 
si,  and  have  generally  been  considered  under  the 
head  of  Mine  a  Burton.  They  are,  however,  situ- 
ated at  different  places,  at  considerable  distances 
asunder,  and  from  their  extent,  and  mineral  cha- 
racter, appear  to  be  entitled  to  individual  consider- 
ation. Several  others  of  less  importance,  have 
been  omitted. 

These  mines  possess  one  general  mineralogical 
character,  although  there  are  some  peculiarities 
which  I  shall  afterwards  mention.  The  ore  is 
found  in  detached  pieces,  and  solid  masses,  in  veins 
and  beds,  in  red  clay,  and  accompanied  by  sulphu- 
rate of  barytes,  calcareous  spar,  blende,  iron  pyrites,  and 
quartz.  The  ore  is  of  that  kind  called  by  mineralo- 
gists, lead-glance,  or  galena,  and  is  the  sulphuret  of 
lead,  of  chymistry.  As  it  is  dug  up,  or  quarried  from 
the  adhering  spar,  it  presents  a  very  rich  appear- 
ance. It  has  a  broad  glittering  grain,  of  a  lead-gray 
colour,  which  sometimes  passes  into  a  bluish 
shade.  This  particular  colour  may  not  be  recog- 
nised on  a  superficial  view,  for  when  the  ore  is  piled 
in  shining  heaps  at  the  mouths  of  the  mines,  there  is 
so  rich  and  dazzling  a  reflection  of  light,  that  it 
appears  white,  and  a  person  unacquainted  with 
ores,  might  readily  mistake  it  for  silver.  The  ore 
is  easily  broke  by  the  blow  of  a  hammer,  and  may 
be  pounded  to  a  fine  powder ;  it  still  preseves  its 
glittering  appearance,  and  is  sometimes  used  in 
this  state  as  paper-sand,  for  which  it  is  an  elegant 


b8 

substitute.  In  breaking  it,  a.  mathematical  law  1* 
observable;  it  always  separates  in  cubes,  which 
are  more  or  less  perfect,  and  on  pounding,  it  con- 
tinues to  preserve  this  figure,  until  the  particles 
become  too  minute  to  discover  their  particular 
shape.  Sometimes  detached  lumps  of  four  or  five 
pounds  weight,  of  a  cubical  form,  are  found  imbed- 
ded in  the  clay.  Its  primitive  figure  of  crystalli- 
zation, is  particularly  observable  after  the  ore  has 
been  desulphurated  by  heat,  which,  at  the  same 
time,  increases  its  splendour,  and  renders  the  lines 
of  intersection  between  the  the  facets  in  which  the 
ore  is  crystallized,  more  plainly  discoverable. 

The  clay,  or  red  earth  in  which  the  ore  is  found, 
appears  to  partake  largely  of  marl,  and  a  difte- 
rance  in  the  quality,  is  to  be  observed  at  the  differ- 
ent mines.     It  all,  however,  operates  more  or  less 
as  a  manure  on  being  thrown  out  of  the  pits,  and  in 
a  few  years,  is  covered  with  a  very  rank  growth  of 
trees,  vines,  &c.  This  is  so  characteristic  a  trait  of 
all  old  diggings,  that  it  will  not  escape  the  observa- 
tion of  the  most  superficial  visiter.     Mixed  with 
the  clay  are  innumerable  pieces  of  radiated  quartz, 
very  beautiful  in  appearance,  and  sharp  fragments 
of  flinty  stones.     These  form  the  first  stratum,  and 
are  about  fourteen  inches  in  depth,  then  succeeds 
a  stratum  of  red  clay,  four  or  five  feet  thick,  and 
sparingly  mixed  with  substances  of  the  same  kindt 
and  after  this  a  layer  of  gravel  and  rounded  peb- 
bles of  a  silicious  character,  is  struck ;  these  are 
about  a  foot  in  depth,  and  lead  ore,  in  small  detach- 
ed lumps,  is  then  found.  The  thickness  of  the  bed 
of  ore,  is  generally  a  foot ;  and  the  lumps  of  ore 


09 

appear  to  have  been  rounded  by  attrition,  like 
common  gravel.  This  is  the  character  of  what  is 
called  the  gravel  ore,  and  no  spars  are  found  accom- 
panying it.  .  The  greatest  proportion  of  lead  ore, 
is,  however,  found  imbedded  in,  and  accompanied 
by  the  sulphate  of  barytes,  resting  in  a  thick  stra- 
tum of  marly  clay,  bottomed  on  limestone  rock. 
The  rock  is  invariably  struck,  at  a  depth  of  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  feet,  and  puts  a  stop  to  the  pro- 
gress of  the  miner  in  a  common  way.  To  go  fur- 
ther, it  is  necessary  to  drill  and  blast,  and  this  cre- 
ates an  expense,  which  the  generality  of  diggers 
are  unwilling  to  incur,  if  not  unable  to  support. 

The  most  valuable  substance  accompanying  the 
lead  ore,  is  blende,  an  ore  of  zinc,  which  is  found  at 
several  of  the  mines ;  and  there  is  reason  to  con- 
clude, that  large  bodies  of  it  exist.  This  is  the 
sulphuret  of  zinc  of  chymistry,  and  is  the  same  sub- 
stance called  black-jack  by  the  English  miners,  and 
sometimes  also  called  pseudo-galena,  and  mock-lead, 
in  writings  on  the  subject.  As  few  are  acquainted 
with  its  nature  or  properties,  and  no  one  appears 
to  be  aware  of  its  uses,  no  search  has  been  made 
for  it,  and,  indeed,  in  digging,  they  have  rather 
avoided  places  where  it  was  most  abundant,  con- 
sidering it  an  useless  thing. 

The  other  substances  found  with  the  ore,  though 
not  very  useful  in  themselves  in  the  present  state 
of  our  knowledge,  will  be  sought  with  avidity  by 
the  American  mineralogist,  as  affording  specimens 
which  are  seldom  met  with  in  any  other  part  of  the 
Union;  and  they  certainly  tend  to  increase  the 
gratification  which  a  person  feels  on  visiting  the 


70 

mines.    The  sulphate  of  barytes,  (called  tiff,  by 
the  lead  diggers  here,)  is  the  same  substance  call- 
ed cawlc  by  English  miners.     These  are  both  local 
terms,  invented  by  the  miners,  who  as  they  read 
few  books,  .cannot  be  presumed  to  make  use  of  the 
terms  proposed  by  mineralogical  writers,  and  ac- 
cordingly make  use  of  their  own  terms,  which  it  is 
nevertheless     necessary    that    scientific    readers 
should  become  acquainted  with.     Tiff,  caivk,  and 
sulphate   of  barytes,   are  therefore  one    substance, 
consisting  of  the  earth  barytes  united   to    the  sul- 
phuric acid.     It  is  a  very  white,  and  a  very  heavy 
spar,  and  may  be  considered  as  the  proper  matrix 
of  the  lead  ore,  as  it  is  found  imbedded  in,  and  of- 
ten   completely  enveloped  by  it.      It    is    exten- 
sively useful  as  a  chymical  re-agent,  or  test,  and  is 
recommended  as  one  of  the  best  fluxes  for  iron  ores, 
in  smelting  in  the  large  way. 

Calcareous  spar,  is  merely  a  carbonate  of  lime, 
in  the  crystallized  form,  and  the  figure  of  the  crystal 
is  a  rhomb.     This  it   invariably  assumes,  how- 
ever broken,  and  may  be  observed,  when  no  big- 
ger than  a  grain  of  sand.  Its  colour  is  either  white, 
or  honey-yellow;  it  is  transparent  in  a  considerable 
degree,  and  very  much  resembles  sparry-gypsum, 
for  which  it  has  been  mistaken  by  several  travellers 
who  have  visited  the  mines.     This  spar  is  here 
known,  under  the  name  of  glass-tiff.     Some  speci- 
mens have  the  transparency  of  the  Iceland  spar,  and 
exhibit    double   refraction.        Iron   pyrites,   is  a 
combination  of  sulphur  and  iron,  and  though  class- 
ed as  an  ore  of  iron,  is  never  wrought  in  the  large 
way.     It  is,  however,  largely  employed  in  several 


71 

parts  of  Europe,  in  the  manufacture  of  green  vitri- 
ol, and  sulphur  is  sometimes  procured  from  it,  by 
sublimation.  In  this  process,  a  red  oxyde  of  iron  is 
left,  which  is  used  as  a  pigment.  Pyrites  are  com- 
mon at  the  mines,  sometimes  crystallized  in  regu- 
lar cubes  of  a  beautiful  brass-yellow  colour,  and 
at  others,  found  in  tabular  masses,  or  mixed  with 
blende,  sulphate  of  barytes,  or  calcareous  spar. 
The  former  variety  has  generally  been  mistaken 
in  this  region  for  gold,  and  many  of  the  stories  in 
circulation  of  the  existence  of  this  metal  in  the 
interior  of  Missouri,  have  no  better  foundation.  I 
have  disappointed  several  miners  and  hunters  who 
brought  in  specimens,  by  telling  them  it  was  mere- 
ly a  combination t  of  sulphur  and  iron.  Quartz 
is  found  throughout  the  whole  mine  district,  both 
on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  at  all  depths  be- 
low. It  is  generally  in  the  form  of  tabular  pieces? 
whose  surfaces  are  thickly  studded  over  with 
small  pyramids  of  transparent  rock  crystal,  and 
presenting  an  appearance  of  the  utmost  beauty  and 
splendour,  looking  like  so  many  diamonds  set  over 
the  surface  of  white  stone.  These  crystals  are 
frequently  grouped  in  the  form  of  a  hemisphere, 
circular,  or  oviform,  solitary  or  in  clusters,  form- 
ing the  different  varieties  of  mamillary  and  radi- 
ated quartz,  and  when  met  with  in  their  pristine 
beauty,  present  a  very  rich  and  brilliant  appear- 
ance. The  mine  country  is  characterized  by  this 
variety  of  quartz,  which  is  generally  found  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  mines,  and  such  a  geognostic  affi- 
nity is  it  supposed  to  have  with  lead,  that  it  has 
acquired  the  popular  name  of  blossom  of  lead,  or 


72 

mineral  blossom,  a  term  perfectly  significant  of  the 
supposed  affinity.  It  is  known  by  no  other  name 
among  the  miners  and  commonalty  of  people  in 
Missouri.  Of  the  uses  of  quartz,  it  may  here  be 
observed,  that  is  it  largely  employed,  under  differ- 
ent names,  in  the  manufacture  of  porcelain  and 
glass.  Silicious  sands  are  merely  quartz,  in  the 
granulated  form.  Rock  crystal  is  a  variety  of 
quartz,  so  is  prase*,  sinople,  and  amethyst.  Quartz  en-* 
ters  as  an  ingredient  into  all  vitrescent  mixtures, 
hence  is  largely  employed,  not  only  in  glass,  but 
smalts,  artificial  gems  or  pastes,  enamels,  glazings,  and 
azure.  Perhaps  the  kind  under  consideration  is 
less  adapted  for  these  purposes  than  most  others. 

These  substances  are  generally  found  accom- 
panying the  lead  ores  at  the  mines.  The  blende 
is,  however,  often  missing,  sometimes  the  calcare- 
ous spar  is  also  wanting,  sometimes  the  pyrites, 
very  seldom  the  heavy  spar,  and  still  more  so  the 
quartz.  This  is  almost  invariably  present,  though 
not  always  found  at  the  immediate  place  of  dig- 
ging. These  variations  in  the  mineral  character 
of  the  mines,  with  some  further  particulars  con- 
nected with  them,  will  render  a  separate  notice  of 
a  few  of  them  necessary. 

Mine  La  Motte.  This  is  one  of  the  oldest  mines 
in  the  Territory,  having  been  discovered  A.  D. 
1720,  by  the  person  whose  name  it  bears.  The 
mines  are  very  extensive,  and  a  large  quantity  of 
ore  is  annually  raised.  They  are  situated  within 
2  miles  of  St.  Michael,  Madison  county,  and  on  the 
head  waters  of  the  River  St.  Francois.  No  spars 
are  found  accompanying  the  ore ;  iron  pyrites  is 


73 

occasionally  met  with,  and  plumbago  is  found  in 
the  vicinity.     The  ore,  which  is  less  brilliant,  and 
differs  in  other  characters  from  any  other  in  the 
mine  tract,  is  at  the  same  time  more  refractory, 
and  in  some  instances  the  greatest  difficulties  have 
been  experienced  in  the  smelting.   Hence  an  idea 
has  originated,   that  it  is   combined  with  other 
metals,  particularly  silver:   but  no  experiments,  I 
believe,  have  been  made  to  ascertain  this  point. 
It  yields  little  lead,  comparatively  speaking:   50 
per  cent,  is  the  extent,  and  the  quantity  often  falls 
short  of  this.     On  a  visit  to  these  mines,  I  observed 
the  inside  of  the  Ash  Furnace  beautifully   tinged 
with  a  blue  colour  of  considerable  intensity.     This 
furnace  is  built  of  a  white  sandstone,  which  be- 
comes vitrified  on  the  surface,  forming  glass.     We 
are  acquainted  with  no  substance  which  will  com- 
municate   a  blue  colour  to  glass    in   fusion,   but 
cobalt;  hence  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  infer  that 
this    metal    is   volatilized    during   the   smelting, 
and   is   thus   brought   into    contact   with   the   li- 
quified surface  of  the  stone,  imparting  to  it  the 
colour   noticed.      That   the    ores    of  La   Motte 
contain  an  unusual  portion  of  sulphur  is  very  pro- 
bable.    I  draw  this  inference  both  from  its  refrac- 
tory nature  and  dull  appearance.     Sulphur  always 
renders  an  ore  refractory,  for  when  it  is  expelled 
by  torrefaction,  it  melts  easy.     Its  dull  aspect  is 
not  less  conclusive,  tor  the  more  an  ore  is  roasted, 
the  more  sulphur  there  is  driven  off,  the  brighter  it 
grows.     This  is  evident  to  every  smelter,  who  can- 
not fail  to  observe  the  surprising  brilliancy  the  ore 
assumes  after  it  has  gone  through  the  first  operation 

10 


7i 

in  the  log  furnace.  That  the  difficulties  daily  ex- 
perienced in  smelting  the  La  Motte  ores  are,  there- 
fore, attributable  to  the  extraordinary  quantity  of 
sulphur  they  contain,  is  extremely  probable.  For 
even  if  they  were  united  with  other  metals,  with 
silver  or  with  cobalt,  these  would  not  increase  their 
infusibility  except  by  the  extra  quantum  of  sulphur 
they  brought  with  them.  At  least  we  have  no  facts 
to  prove  that  a  simple  alloy  does  not  melt  as  easy 
as  a  pure  metal,  while  there  are  many  to  show  that 
alloys  are  of  the  most  easy  fusibility.  Such  is  that 
made  from  tin,  lead,  and  bismuth,  which  will  melt 
in  a  tea-spoon  held  in  a  cup  of  hot  tea :  but  it  re- 
quires a  red  heat  to  melt  either  simply.  Where  an 
ore  contains  sulphur,  it  must  be  expelled  by  roast- 
ing, and  the  more  sulphur,  the  more  roasting  is  re- 
quired. This  is  the  only  remedy,  and  if  the  smelters 
at  La  Motte  will  take  the  pains  to  desulphurate 
their  ores  completely  previous  to  fusion,  I  do  not 
doubt  but  they  will  have  a  pleasant  and  profitable 
result. 

New  Diggings.  The  quantity  of  ore  raised  at 
these  mines  has  been  very  great,  but  they  have 
been  abandoned  several  years  ago,  on  account  of 
the  water  which  rushed  in  with  such  rapidity,  that 
to  remove  it  every  morning  with  a  common  wind- 
lass and  bucket  was  found  a  work  of  such  labour  as 
to  render  the  business  unprofitable.  The  mines 
were  left  with  the  most  flattering  veins  of  ore  in 
view.  The  general  character  of  these  mines  is 
such  as  to  justify  the  expenses  of  the  erection  of 
a  steam  engine,  and  other  works  for  prosecuting 


75 

the  business  on  an  extensive  scale  ;  and  their  re- 
vival at  some  future  period  may  be  confidently 
looked  for. 

Mine  Renault,  is  situated  about  6  miles  N.  N.  W. 
of  Mine  a  Burton,  in  a  very  rocky  part  of  the 
country,  and  affording  some  of  the  most  picturesque 
views  of  mountain  scenery.  The  country  is  strong- 
ly marked  by  mineral  appearances,  which  render 
it  probable  that  other  substances  of  value  besides 
lead  may  exist  in  that  vicinity.  Ores  of  zinc  are 
abundant  at  this  mine  ;  it  is  black  blende.  This 
is  among  the  number  of  long  neglected  mines, 
where  the  ores  near  the  surface  have  been  ex- 
hausted, and  the  want  of  proper  machinery,  and 
mining  capital,  has  barred  a  further  progress. 
They  derive  their  name  from  Phillip  Francis 
1'enault,  who  made  the  discovery  about  a  century 
ago.  A  body  of  micaceous  oxyd  of  iron  is  found 
near  this  mine. 

Bryan's  Mines,  on  Hazle  Run,   are  among  the 
most  recent  discoveries  of  consequence.     Near 
a  million  pounds  of  lead  were  made  here  during 
the  first  year  of  the  discovery.     The  mine  is  cha- 
racterized by  yielding  no  spars;  sometimes  a  little 
calcareous  spar  is  found,  and  then  adhering  to  the 
ores,  a  circumstance  which  I  have  no  where  else 
observed.      No  heavy   spar,   pyrites,   or  blende, 
have  been  found.     Much  of  the  ore  of  these  mines 
is  found  in  tabular  pieces,  which  are  sonorous  in 
a  considerable  degree;   the  ore  is  brilliant,   and 
smelts  readily,  yielding  the  same  as  Mine  a  Burton, 
Gray's  Mine,  situated  on  Big  River,  on  the  north- 
ern extremity  of  the  mine  tract,  is  remarkable  for 


76 

a  body  of  white  clay,  which  was  discovered  Hi 
searching  for  ore.  In  sinking  several  pits  at  this 
mine,  in  search  of  ore,  a  stratum  of  clay  of  an  un- 
usual appearance  was  struck  at  the  depth  of  from 
8  to  10  feet,  and  no  ore  was  procured  at  those 
places,  but  the  diggings  were  abandoned  in  con- 
sequence of  the  clay,  which  covers  a  considerable 
area  of  ground  on  the  banks  of  Big  River.  This 
mineral  substance  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to 
a  specimen  of  German  crucible  clay  in  my  posses- 
sion, and  I  have  employed  it  in  small  crucibles  in 
analysis,  where  a  very  intense  heat  was  given, 
without  discovering  any  other  marks  of  fusion  but 
such  as  are  common  to  the  best  Hessian  crucibles. 
Hence  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  conclude,  that  it 
is  not  only  adapted  for  crucibles,  but  may  also  be 
employed  in  the  making  of  glass-house-pots,  where 
a  clay  of  the  utmost  purity  and  infusibility  is  re- 
quired. The  clay  under  consideration  is  mani- 
festly the  result  of  decomposed  shale,  as  this  mine- 
ral is  to  be  observed  in  all  stages  of  the  decompo- 
sition. 

Elliott's  Mines.  These  lie  upon  the  mineral 
fork,  and  are  characterized  by  the  abundance  of 
pyrites,  and  the  beauty  of  the  calcareous  spar 
found  there.  Considerable  quantities  of  blende 
were  also  met  with,  and  strong  indications  of  the 
»existence  of  copper  are  furnished.  During  the 
remarkable  earthquakes  of  1812,  a  fine  spring  of 
water  at  the  mouth  of  the  mines  suddenly  became 
warm  and  foul,  and  in  a  few  days  dried  up  entirely^ 
and  no  water  has  run  there  since.     Illuminations 


r, 


in  the  atmosphere,  (arising  doubtless  from  phos- 
phorus) are  frequently  observed  in  this  vicinity  on 
the  approach  of  night. 

Mine  a  Burton.  There  is  found  adhering  to  the 
sides  of  the  Log-hearth  furnace  at  Mine  a  Burton 
and  other  mines,  a  grayish- white  sublimated  mat- 
ter, of  great  weight,  which  I  take  to  be  a  sublimate 
of  lead.  It  is  considered  as  chiefly  sulphur  or 
arsenic  by  the  lead  smelters,  and  is  thrown  by  as 
useless.  It  is  found  at  every  furnace,  and  a  very 
large  quantity  could  be  annually  collected.  This 
circumstance  induced  me  to  undertake  some  ex- 
periments on  the  subject.  I  was  convinced,  on 
reflection,  that  there  could  be  no  sulphur,  at  least 
no  notable  quantity  of  sulphur  in  it,  from  the  fact 
that  all  sulphur,  or  other  inflammable  matter,  ex- 
pelled from  the  ore  in  the  furnace,  would  undergo 
immediate  combustion.  This  is  also  observable 
in  the  colour  of  the  flame  while  the  ore  is  torrified  ; 
and  at  the  same  time  every  person  conversant  with 
the  nature  of  this  substance  must  know  it  cannot 
be  otherwise.  The  furnace  is  entirely  open,  and 
does  not  rise  over  7  or  8  feet  in  height,  conse- 
quently there  is  no  opportunity  for  it  to  condense. 
That  the  sulphuric  acid  is  driven  off,  is  undoubt- 
ed, for  whenever  sulphur  is  burned  this  acid  is  set 
at  liberty,  but  it  has  no  opportunity  for  entering 
into  a  new  combination,  within  the  body  of  log 
furnace. 

The  idea  of  arsenic  in  the  substance  alluded  to, 
is  perfectly  erroneous,  and  has  originated  in  an 
ignorance  of  the  nature  of  the  ores  of  these  mines. 
It  is  the  sulphuret  of  lead,  and   not  the  arsematc. 


That  there  is  a  small  portion  of  silver  and  anti- 
mony in  combination  with  the  ore  is  probable,  but 
they  too  are  mineralized  by  sulphur.  Reflecting 
on  this,  I  became  convinced  of  the  popular  error, 
and  to  ascertain  the  point,  made  the  following  ex- 
periments : 

Exp.  I.  I  took  a  lump  of  the  sublimated  matter 
freed  from  adhering  impurities,  and  reduced  it  to 
the  state  of  a  fine  powder  by  pulverizing  in  an 
agate  mortar  and  trituration.  Of  this  I  mixed  6 
parts  with  4  of  pulverized  borax,  and  a  little  char- 
coal, and  submitted  to  the  intense  heat  of  a  small 
chemical  furnace.  On  removing  the  crucible,  I 
found  a  button  of  metallic  lead  in  the  bottom,  weigh- 
ing nearly  4. 

Exp.  II.  Dissolved  a  quantity  of  the  powdered 
sublimate  in  the  nitric  acid  :  it  effected  a  ready 
solution,  with  violent  effervescence.  Poured  on 
liquid  carbonat  of  potasli^  until  no  more  precipi- 
tate fell.  I  then  collected  the  precipitate,  and 
washed  away  the  superfluous  alkali  by  clear  wa- 
ter, and  dried  it  in  the  shade.  The  result  was  a 
very  fine,  and  a  very  white  powder,  of  considera- 
ble weight.  This  was  a  carbonat  of  lead,  (white 
lead.)  With  a  quantity  of  the  white  lead  thus 
made,  I  mixed  linseed  oil,  and  painted  a  board. 
The  colour  was  of  the  most  delicate  white,  and 
it  gave  a  good  body.  On  inspecting  this  board 
several  months  afterwards,  I  found  the  colour  in- 
clining a  little  to  yellowish.  But  perhaps  it  stands 
as  well  as  any  white  lead  would,  prepared  from 
litharge,  by  solution  in  the  nitric  or  acetic  acids, 
and  precipitation  by  carbonated  alkali. 


79 

Exp.  III.  Mixed  8  parts  of  sublimate,  with  12 
of  muriate  of  soda,  and  fused  in  a  crucible,  with  a 
tight  cover,  in  a  high  heat.  Result,  a  yellow,  hard, 
heavy,  vitrified  mass.  This  was  a  muriate  of  soda 
and  lead,  (Patent  Mineral  Yellow.) 

As  these  experiments  indicated  a  sublimate  of 
lead  of  considerable  purity,  I  ventured  to  suggest 
to  several   of  those    engaged  in  the    lead  busi- 
ness,   the    advantages   of    converting    it   into  pig 
lead,  by  a  proper  treatment  with   charcoal  in  an 
ash  or  blast  furnace.     It  is  difficult,  however,  to 
induce  people,  particularly  those  engaged  in  me- 
chanical pursuits,  suddenly   to   relinquish  a   long 
cherished  theory,  and  the  smelter  who  has  hereto- 
fore considered  the  sublimate  as  sulphur  or  arse- 
nic, hesitates  in  believing  it  can  be  lead.  If,  there- 
fore, nobody  profits  by  my  suggestions,  it  can  give 
me  little  disappointment,  for  experience  has  often 
given  me  occasion  to  remark,  that  it  is  the  hardest 
thing  in  nature  to  learn  an  ignorant  mechanic  a 
new  thing,  or  to  introduce  any  alteration  under  the 
shape  of  an  improvement,  among  workmen  who 
have  been  brought    up   to  particular  trades,  and 
have  been  accustomed  to  look  upon  themselves  as 
masters  in  those  trades.     This  has  been  the  cause 
of  much  disturbance  in  manufactories,  as  well  as 
mines,  in  this  country,  as  well  as  in  Europe.     The 
first  attempt  of  weaving  by  steam  power,  succeed- 
ed so  well,  that  the  weavers  of  Manchester  (1791) 
burned  down  the  manufactory.     A  similar  opposi- 
tion took  place  on  the  introduction  of  the  stock- 
ing loom. 


80 

it  is  also,  perhaps,  worthy  of  inquiry,  whether 
this  sublimate  of  lead  is  not  adapted  as  a  flux  in 
the  manufacture  of  flint  glass,  where  litharge  and 
red-lead  are  largely  employed.  In  this  light  alone, 
it  is  a  subject  of  some  moment.  From  four  to  five 
hundred  weight  might  be  collected  at  every  fur- 
nace, and  as  it  is  constantly  forming,  perhaps  this 
amount  might  be  collected  annually. 

M'-Kains'  Mine  is  situated  on  a  small  stream, 
called  Dry  Creek,  running  into  Big  River  not  far 
from  its  junction  with  the  Merrimack.  It  has  not 
been  worked  for  several  years,  and  is  among  the 
number  of  those  of  least  extent,  which  are  not  con- 
sidered advantageous.  The  mine  is  worthy  of  re- 
mark, only  on  account  of  a  body  of  steel-grained  lead 
ore  found  there.  This  ore  is  found  to  yield  less 
lead  in  smelting  than  the  common  broad  grained 
ore,  and,  as  may  be  inferred  from  its  texture,  con- 
tains more  silver. 

Mine  a  Martin.  A  quantity  of  slag  is  lying  here, 
of  a  very  rich  appearance.  It  is  a  heavy,  black, 
well  melted  substance,  containing  a  considerable 
proportion  of  lead  in  the  state  of  an  oxyd,  mixed 
with  the  earthy  and  alkaline  parts  of  the  ore.  I 
consider  this  a  suitable  material  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  glass  bottles  ;  it  would  require  but  a  small 
addition  of  alkali  and  sand,  to  render  it  a  very  fu- 
sible and  strong  glass,  fit  to  be  blown  into  junk  bot- 
tles ;  and  with  a  due  admixture  of  other  materials, 
it  might  be  employed  in  considerable  quantity  in 
the  formation  of  the  lighter  coloured  green  bottles. 
It  is  found  at  all  the  mines,  where  an  ash  furnace 
has  been  erected  ;  at  some  places  in  greater  puri- 


ty  thai)  others,  according  to  the  flux  which  has 
been  employed  in  smelting  the  lead  ashes.  This 
mine,  and  Mine  La  Motte,  are  particularly  noticed 
for  the  richness  of  the  slag. 

In  the  manufacture  of  glass  bottles,  there  is  a 
great  variety  of  materials  employed,  and  indeed  as 
great  a  variety  in  the  quality  of  the  glass  produced. 
The  principal  kinds  are  the  black  junk  bottle,  and 
the  common  green  bottle.  Of  these,  sand  forms  the 
basis,  which  is  rendered  fusible  by  the  addition  of 
potash,  house  ashes,  and  salt.  The  sand  employed 
is  of  the  most  fusible  and  impure  kind  ;  for  as  the 
colour  of  the  ware  is  not  regarded,  the  more  iron 
or  other  metallic  impurities  are  combined  with  it, 
the  easier  it  will  melt,  and  the  better  is  it  adapted 
for  the  purpose.  Blacksmith's  cinders,  slag  from 
an  iron  furnace,  and  from  a  glass  furnace,  and  even 
ashes  from  which  the  salts  have  been  partially  ex- 
tracted by  lixiviation,  are  also  sometimes  employ- 
ed ;  the  glass-founder  always  consulting  the  conve- 
nience and  cheapness  of  the  material,  and  adapt- 
ing his  compositions  accordingly.  Lime  in  all  its 
combinations,  may  be  advantageously  used.  In 
the  state  of  quicklime  and  chalk,  it  is  a  flux  of  con- 
siderable activity,  and  is  largely  employed,  not 
only  in  the  manufacture  of  bottles,  but  in  common 
window  glass.  In  its  combination  with  the  sulphu- 
ric acid,  (Gypsum,)  it  is  well  adapted  as  a  flux  j 
but  where  a  particular  regard  is  had  to  the  puri- 
ty, as  well  as  the  activity  of  the  lime  employed,  it 
will  be  advisable  to  prepare  it  from  the  calcina- 
tion of  marble,  or  of  shells,  previously  washed 
clean.     This  nicety  will   not,  however,  be  found 

11 


82 

necessary  in  making  common  bottles,  the  prices  of 
which  will  not  indeed  justify  a  great  expense  in 
the  preparation  of  materials.  Wood  ashes  are 
found,  on  analysis,  to  consist  essentially  of  alumina, 
silica,  calcia,  oxyd  of  iron,  oxyd  of  manganese, 
and  potash.  The  four  last  are  powerful  fluxes  for 
sand,  and  are,  therefore, well  adapted  as  an  ingredi- 
ent of  glass.  The  alkali  alone,  in  fresh  burnt  house- 
ashes,  is  reckoned  at  ten  per  cent. ;  when,  however, 
the  colour  of  glass  is  essential,  they  cannot  be  em- 
ployed, as  the  iron  communicates  a  green  tinge,, 
which,  however  agreeable  in  window  glass,  is  ob- 
jected to  in  a  tumbler  or  a  decanter;  but  in  com- 
mon bottles,  nothing  is  more  suitable — nothing 
cheaper,  or  more  readily  obtained. 

There  are  also  several  volcanic  productions, 
which  have  been  found  particularly  adapted  to  the 
manufacture  of  bottles.  Such  is  basalt,  which 
has  been  largely  employed  in  this  manufacture  in 
France :  and  where  it  happens  to  be  contiguous  to 
a  glass  works,  is  a  most  valuable  material.  For 
this  discovery  we  are  indebted  to  Chaptal,  one  of 
the  most  ingenious  chy mists  of  the  age.  His  own 
remarks  on  this  subject  are  of  so  instructive  a  na- 
ture, that  they  may  with  propriety  be  introduced 
in  this  place. 

"  Basalts  is  converted  by  fire  into  a  most  beau- 
tiful black  glass.  This  property,  which  is  admit- 
ted by  every  chymist,  induced  me  toiuse  it,  and 
blow  it  into  bottles.  The  attempt  was  perfectly  suc- 
cessful at  the  glass-house  of  Mr.  Gilley,  of  Allais, 
and  at  that  of  Mr.  Giral,  of  Erepian.  I  still  pos- 
sess the  first  vessels  which  were  blown  of  this  sub- 


83 

stance :  they  are  of  the  most  beautiful  black,  as- 
tonishingly light,  but  without  transparency.  En- 
couraged by  this  first  success,  1  requested  Mr. 
Castelviel,  the  proprietor  of  another  glass-house, 
to  undertake  some  experiments ;  and  in  conse- 
quence of  various  trials,  we  succeeded  in  fabrica- 
ting bottles  of  an  olive  green,  in  which  the  most  ex- 
treme lightness,  and  a  truly  astonishing  degree  of 
solidity,  were  united.  Pounded  basalts,  soda,  and 
sand,  in  nearly  equal  proportions,  formed  the  com- 
position. The  properties  of  these  bottles,  as 
proved  by  my  own  experiments,  as  well  as  by  those 
which  Mr.  Joly  De  Fleury,  at  that  time  comptrol- 
ler-general, ordered  to  be  m$de,  rendered  them 
of  the  greatest  value  in  commerce  ;  and  Mr.  Cas- 
telveil,  was  unable  to  supply  the  numerous  orders 
he  received.  This  manufactory  supported  itself 
with  success  for  two  years ;  but  at  the  end  of  that 
time,  the  superiority  of  the  bottles  ceased  to  be  the 
same :  the  manufacturer  received  the  reproaches 
of  the  consumer ;  this  superb  establishment  gra- 
dually fell  off,  and  was  at  length  abandoned. 

"  Since  that  period,  I  have  made  several  experi- 
ments in  the  large  way,  from  which  1  have  obtain- 
ed results,  that  may  be  of  service  to  such  as  are 
desirous  of  following  the  manufacture. 

"  I.  The  nature  of  the  combustible  used  in  glass- 
houses, has  a  prodigious  effect  in  modifying  the 
results  of  experiments.  The  same  basalts  which 
Mr.  Castelveil  considered  as  too  refractory  in  his 
furnace  heated  by  wood,  was  found  of  too  fusible  a 
nature  by  Mr.  Giral,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  using 
git-coal  in  his  glass-works.     The  former  manufac- 


u 

iurer  accordingly  made  his  glass  by  adding  soda 
to  the  lava,  whilst  the  latter  mixed  it  with  a  very 
refractory  sand. 

"  II.  The  same  lava,  fused  without  addition,  may 
be  blown  in  one  glass-house,  and  not  in  another. 
This  irregularity  appeared  to  me,  at  first,  to  de- 
pend essentially  on  the  skill  of  the  workmen  ;  but 
I  have  since  been  convinced,  that  it  is  totally  inde- 
pendent of  that  circumstance.  In  a  furnace  which 
is  strongly  heated,  the  fused  lava  becomes  fluid 
like  water,  and  drops  from  the  iron  tube,  (the 
blow-pipe,)  as  soon  as  collected.  The  same  lava, 
when  fused  in  another  furnace,  will  preserve  a  suf- 
ficient degree  of  consistence,  to  admit  of  being 
blown.  I  am  myself  well  assured,  that  the  lava 
might  be  wrought  in  any  glass-house  whatever, 
provided  the  moment  was  seized  in  which  the 
paste  was  neither  too  fluid,  nor  too  thick  to  be 
wrought;  but  those  attentions  are  too  delicate, 
and  too  minute,  to  be  observed  in  works  in  the 
large  way. 

"  III.  The  hardest  basalts  affords  the  most  beau- 
tiful glass.  When  it  is  contaminated  with  foreign 
principles,  such  as  the  nodules  of  lime,  the  glass  is 
brittle,  and  has  not  a  sufficient  connexion  of  its 
parts.  This  circumstance,  in  my  opinion,  was 
the  cause  of  the  bad  quality  of  the  glass,  which 
produced  the  failure  in  Mr.  Castelviel's  manufac- 
tory. 

"  IV.  I  have  seen  very  hard  basalts  interspersed 
with  black  infusible  points,  insomuch  that  these 
points  became  enveloped  in  the  vitreous  paste, 
without  any  perceptible  alteration.     The  volcanic 


86 

mountain  of  Escandorgue,  near  Lordeve,  afforded 
me  this  variety  of  basalts. 

"  In  the  article  Verrerie,  of  the  Encyclopedic 
Methodique,    may    be   seen   the   various    results 
which  we  have  obtained  with  Mr.  Allut,  in  several 
experiments  made  in  the  Royal  Glass  Works  of 
Bosquet  and  elsewhere. 

"I  shall  conclude  from  the  observations  which  my 
experiments  have  hitherto  afforded, — 1.  That  lava 
may  be  used  in  glass  houses  to  diminish  the  con- 
sumption of  soda.  This  is  the  single  purpose  I  at 
that  time  proposed  to  myself,  and  I  have  ■clearly- 
accomplished  it.  1.  By  the  results  of  my  experi- 
ments, which  have  shown  that  refractory  sand  be- 
comes fused  in  the  glass  furnace  by  a  mixture  of 
lava.  2.  By  the  effects  obtained  in  all  the  works 
in  the  large  way,  in  which  the  addition  of  lava 
permitted  a  diminution  in  the  proportion  of  soda. 

"  2.  It  was  very  difficult  to  establish  a  rigorous 
process,  applicable  to  all  circumstances,  by  which 
lava  may  be  wrought  without  addition.  My  bot- 
tles, into  which  lava  entered  as  a  component  part, 
were  scarcely  known,  before  it  was  published  that 
they  were  formed  of  lava  without  addition ;  nothing 
more  being  said  to  be  required  than  to  fuse  the 
lava  in  order  to  form  bottles.  This  strange  report 
affected  me  very  little  in  the  principle,  because  I 
had  neither  spoken,  written,  nor  printed  any  thing 
which  was  capable  of  giving  authority  to  such  an 
error;  and  I  was  content  to  reply  to  all  persons 
who  demanded  information,  by  informing  them, 
that  experience  had  taught  me  that  an  addition  of 
lava  diminished  the  proportion  of  soda  in  the  com- 


86 

position  of  glass,  and  that  this  new  principle  ren- 
dered the  bottles  lighter  and  stronger. 

"  3.  That  the  only  advantage  which  can  be  de- 
rived from  fusing  lava  without  addition,  is  to  pour 
it  out  into  moulds,  to  form  paving  stones,  chimney 
jams,  &c.  The  facility  with  which  it  is  fused  by 
the  assistance  of  pit  coal,  would  render  these 
works  of  small  expense,  and  it  might  easily  be 
decorated  by  incrusting  it  with  metallic  colours. 

"  4.  That  the  difference  in  the  nature  of  volcanic 
products  produces  such  a  variety  in  the  results  of 
their  fusion,  that  consider  it  as  impossible  to  as- 
sign a  constant  and  invariable  process,  by  which 
the  same  result  may  be  infallibly  obtained.  This 
circumstance  renders  it  necessary  to  make  pre- 
liminary trials  in  all  cases  where  it  is  intended  to 
use  basalts  in  the  fabrication  of  bottles." — (Chap- 
taVs  ChymistryS) 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  also  to  give  the  re- 
sults of  some  experiments  of  M.  Alliot,  on  different 
mixtures  of  this  basaltic  earth.  Seven  crucibles 
with  different  mixtures  were  heated  for  18  hours 
in  a  common  potter's  furnace,  (a  glass-house  not 
being  at  command,)  which  however  gives  a  less 
intense  heat  than  the  glass  furnaces,  and  therefore, 
if  used  in  manufacture,  a  greater  effect  might  be 
allowed  than  was  here  noticed.  The  results  were 
the  following : — 

No.  1.  Contained  pure  basaltic  earth,  and  melt- 
ed into  a  black  opaque  glass,  moderately  well 
melted. 

No.  2.  Was  a  mixture  of  one  third  basalt,  one 
third  of  ashes,  and  one  third  of  white  quartz  in 


8? 

powder.     It  was  a  milky,  brilliant,  coffee-coloured 
glass,  resembling  fine  porcelain. 

No.  3.  Was  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  basalt, 
and  common  sand.  It  was  moderately  well  melt- 
ed, of  a  blackish  blue  in  mass,  but  in  thin  lamina 
was  of  a  yellow  green. 

No.  4.  Was  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  ashes, 
and  a  volcanic  granite.  It  melted  well,  gave  a 
very  fine  dark  yellow  glass,  of  great  lustre,  and 
would  have  been  very  proper  for  bottles. 

No.  5.  Contained  one-nineteenth  of  ordinary 
soda,  six-nineteenths  of  common  sand,  and  twelve- 
nineteenths  of  ashes,  and  gave  a  yellow  black  glass* 
interspersed  with  opaque  bluish  white  veins. 

No.  6.  Consisted  of  one-third  of  basalt,  one-th»rd 
of  refuse  soda,  and  one-third  of  sand.  It  gave  a 
fine  transparent  green  yellow  glass,  very  well 
melted,  of  a  fine  polish,  and  which  would  have 
been  excellent  for  bottles. 

No.  7.  Was  simply  the  sand  of  the  river  Orb  ic 
the  neighbourhood,  which  appeared  by  inspection 
to  contain  a  large  portion  of  basaltic  earth.  It 
melted  well,  and  gave  a  very  good  bottle  glass. 

The  analysis  of  basalt  shows  that  it  is  xery  well 
fitted  both  for  fusion  per  se,  and  to  act  as  a  flux  of 
considerable  power;  for  it  consists  of  about  45 
per  cent,  of  silex,  16  of  alumine,  from  6  to  20  of 
oxyd  of  iron,  9  of  lime,  and  from  2,  o,  to  4  of  pure 
soda,  of  which  the  three  last  are  all  very  powerful 
fluxes.  Many  other  minerals  contain  even  more 
soda,  such  as  the  Klingstien,*  which  contains  about 
8  per  cent,  of  this  alkali,  but  having  much  less 
lime  and  oxyd  of  iron,  it  is  much  less  fusible.    The 

*  Clinkstone  of  Cleaveland, 


88 

colour  of  all  the  passes  into  which  basalt  enters 
largely  as  a  constituent,  is  generally  of  a  deep 
olive  green  passing  into  deep  yellow,  and  in  mass 
almost  yellow,  nor  is  it  probable  that  this  colour 
could  be  materially  corrected.  The  glass  is  well 
ascertained  to  be  specifically  lighter,  and  at  the 
same  time  tougher  than  common  green  bottle 
glass,  so  as  to  bear  harder  blows  without  break- 
ing— two  very  important  advantages;  and  the  quan- 
tity of  alkali  contained,  and  that  required  to  bring 
the  whole  to  a  workable  state,  is  so  small  as  pro- 
bably to  enable  this  glass  to  resist  all  corrosive 
liquors,  at  least  as  well  as  any  known  kind  of 
glass.     (Jlrtisfs  Manual.') 

In  the  different  volcanic  products,  the  Missouri 
Territory  abounds.  Pumice  is  annually  brought 
down  by  the  waters  of  the  Missouri,  and  when 
they  subside,  pieces  of  it  are  to  be  picked  up  all 
along  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi.  It  is  also 
found  in  the  interior,  on  the  dividing  ground  be- 
tween White  and  Strawberry  rivers,  and  volcanic 
mountains  are  reported  to  exist  on  the  waters  of 
the  Kanzas,  La  Platte,  and  Yellow  stone  rivers. 
On  the  latter  we  are  informed  of  a  volcanic  moun- 
tain, which  is  continually  emitting  smoke  and 
flames,  and  lava  is  the  product  of  that  neighbour- 
hood ;  but  on  this  interesting  head  we  have  much 
to  expect  from  the  expedition,  which  is  now  as- 
cending the  Missouri,  to  establish  a  garrison  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Yellow  Stone. 

The  Yellow  Stone  River  is  one  of  the  most  con- 
siderable tributary  streams  of  the  Missouri.  It 
originates  in  the  spurs  of  the  Rocky  Mountains* 


89 

near  the  sources  of  the  Arkansaw,  and  after  run- 
ning nearly  S00  miles  in  a  N.  E.  course,  enters  the 
Missouri  1800  miles  above  its  mouth.  The  Yel- 
low Stone,  in  its  course  to  the  Missouri,  is  swelled 
by  innumerable  streams,  the  principal  of  which 
are  Tahong  River,  Big  Hocn,  and  Republican  Fork, 
all  affording  lands  of  the  richest  quality.  It  is 
represented  as  drawing  its  waters  from  a  country 
as  fertile,  varied,  and  extensive,  as  the  valley  of 
the  Ohio,  and  one  capable  of  supporting  as  nume- 
rous a  population. 


1*2 


SECTION  IV. 

Method  of  Working  the  Mines. 


The  method  of  raising  the  ores,  and  the  pro- 
cesses pursued  in  separating  the  metal,  are,  upon 
the  whole,  extremely  simple.  A  pick  axe  and 
shovel  are  the  only  tools  in  use  for  removing  the 
earth,  and  the  drill,  rammer,  and  priming  rod  are 
added  when  it  is  necessary  to  blast.  Having  de- 
termined on  the  spot  for  digging,  the  process  com- 
mences by  measuring  off"  a  square  of  about  8  feet, 
and  throwing  out  the  earth,  spar,  and  gravel,  until 
the  miner  sinks  beneath  the  depth  he  can  throw 
the  earth.  A  practised  hand  will  pitch  his  earth 
clear  out  of  the  pit  from  a  depth  of  10,  12,  and 
even  15  feet.  At  this  depth  a  common  windlass 
and  bucket  is  placed  over  the  centre  of  the  pit, 
and  the  digging  continued  by  drawing  up  the 
earth,  spar,  and  ores,  if  any  are  found,  in  the  man- 
ner pursued  in  sinking  a  well.  During  his  progress 
the  miner  is  notified  of  his  approach  to  a  body  of 
ore,  by  small  detached  lumps  occasionally  found 
imbedded  in  the  soil,  within  a  few  feet  of  the  sur- 
face, and  sometimes  lumps  on  the  top  of  the  ground 
determine  on  the  place  for  digging.  The  spar  is 
also  a  sign  by  which  he  judges,  and  there  is  seldom 
a  body  of  spar  found,  without  lead  ore.  There  are 
also  other  signs,  by  which  an  experienced  digger 
is  advertised  of  his  prospects,  and  encouraged  to 


91 


proceed  with  cheerfulness  in  his  work.  These 
are,  peculiar  appearances  in  the  texture  of  the  spar, 
and  sometimes  minute  specks  of  ore  scattered 
through  it,  the  changes  in  the  colour,  and  other  qual- 
ities of  the  earth,  gravel,  &c.  If  these  appearances 
are  promising,  and  bits  of  ore  are  occasionally  met 
with,  he  is  encouraged  to  sink  down  a  great  depth; 
but  if  they  should  fail,  he  is  generally  induced  to 
abandon  the  pit,  and  commence  at  another  place. 

In  searching  for  ore,  the  soil,  the  slope  of  the 
hills,  spar,  blossom*,  trees,  &c.  are  taken  as  guides, 
and  some  are  obstinately  attached  to  these  signs. 
Others,  who  have  been  fortunate  in  finding  ore 
where  these  appearances  were  least  promising, 
wholly  disregard  them,  and  pay  no  attention  to 
rules.  In  general,  there  is  a  greater  disposition 
to  trust  to  luck  and  chance,  and  stumble  upon  ore, 
than  by  attending  to  mineral  character,  to  be  sure 
of  success.  As  those  who  hunt  by  rules,  are  gene- 
rally incapable  of  those  minute  remarks  on  the 
distinguishing  character,  and  geological  situation 
of  minerals,  which  are  necessary,  in  order  to  en- 
sure success;  it  frequently  happens  that  such 
meet  with  disappointments.  An  incident  of  this 
kind,  is  enough  to  perplex  a  man  who  has  not 
habituated  himself  to  reasoning  on  the  subject, 
and  to  weaken  his  belief  in  the  affinity  of  ores 
and  stones.  Such  a  man  will  not  stop  to  compare 
and  reconcile  facts,  which  are  seemingly  opposite, 
or  to  investigate  the  nature  of  chymical  principles, 
attraction,  repulsion,  decomposition,  &c. 


*  Radiated  nuartz  of  Mineralogy. 


92 

Hence  I  frequently  hear  miners  exclaim  on  the 

uncertainty  of  finding  ores  by  rules  drawn  from 

the  observations  of  science  ;  that  the  strata  of  the 

earth  are  irregular,  and  not  to  be  depended  upon 

like  the  rock  formations  in  Europe;  and  that  in  fine, 

we  have  no  guides  by  which  its  mineral  treasures 

are  to  be  sought,  and  that  in  so  confused  a  soil, 

chance  is  the  best  guide.     Such  a  man  is  more 

ready  to  follow  the  mysterious  guidance   of  the 

divining  rod,  than  the  light  of  reason  ;  and  would 

be  easily  persuaded  that  fortune  is  more  surely  the 

result  of  blind  chance,  than  of  feasible  schemes  well 

planned,  and  well  executed. 

There  may,  nevertheless,  be  some  truth  in  the 
uncertainties  and  the  confusion  complained  of,  and 
were  those  circumstances  among  the  observations 
of  scientific  men,  would  be  conclusive.     But  who 
has  ever  explored  Missouri  with  a  geological  eye  ? 
What  mineralogist  has  ever  travelled  the  country 
to  make  a  collection  of  its  numerous  fossils  ?  or 
what  chymist  has  ever  analyzed  its  mineral  and 
vegetable  productions  ?     I  know  of  none  ;  it  is  a 
boundless  field  on  which  the  light  of  science  has 
but  partially  dawned;  but  it  will   be  hazarding 
little  to  say,  that  when  such  observations  are  made, 
there  will  be  found  as  much  regularity,  harmony, 
and  order  in  the  works  of  nature,  as  generally  ex- 
ist. The  few  facts  I  have  noticed,  lead  to  this  con- 
clusion.     It  affords  granite,  gneiss,  and  mica-slate, 
all  rocks  of  the  oldest  formation.     The  whole  mi- 
neral country  is  bottomed  on  primitive  limestone, 
and  quartz  rock,  and  the  older  sand  rock,  are  very 
common  in  the  southern  section,  in  the  Arkansaw 


93 

country.  Secondary  limestone  is  met  with,  but  it 
is  far  less  common  than  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Kentucky, 
and  Illinois,  and  when  found,  is  to  be  traced  over- 
laying transition  or  primitive  rocks.  Such  is  its  si- 
tuation on  the  Mississippi,  at  the  Dormant  Wall,  and 
at  the  cliffs  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Herculaneum. 
Hence  we  are  led  to  infer  the  antiquity  of  its  geo- 
logical character,  and  cannot  resist  the  belief,  that 
few  districts  of  the  old  world  afford  a  greater  regu- 
larity or  harmony  in  their  earthy  structure ;  and  if 
miners  would  render  themselves  acquainted  with 
the  pursuits  they  follow,  if  they  would  study  the 
principles  of  their  business,  they  would  no  longer 
find  their  operations  a  continued  series  of  doubts, 
perplexities  and  disappointments. 

Having  raised  a  sufficient  quantity  of  ore  for 
smelting,  the  next  process  consists  in  separating 
the  spar,  and  cleaning  the  ore  from  all  extrane- 
ous matter.  This  is  done  by  small  picks  tapered 
down  to  such  a  point,  that  a  careful  hand  may  de- 
tach the  smallest  particle  of  adhering  spar.  It  is 
necessary  that  the  ore  should  be  well  cleaned,  for 
it  would  otherwise  prove  refractory  in  smelting.  If 
there  be  any  lumps  of  uncommon  size,  these  are 
beaten  smaller.  The  object  is  to  bring  the  lumps 
as  near  as  may  be  to  an  uniform  size,  so  that 
the  heat  may  operate  equally  in  desulphura- 
ting  the  ore.  It  is  desirable  that  the  lumps  should 
be  about  the  bigness  of  a  man's  two  fists,  or  about 
fifteen  pounds  weight :  if  too  small,  a  difficulty  and 
a  waste  is  experienced  in  smelting.  In  this  state 
the  ore  is  conveyed  to  the  furnace,  (see  Plate  I.) 
and  piled  on  the  logs  prepared  for  its  reception 


94 

When  the  charge  is  put  in,  which  may  in  a  com- 
mon way  be  about  live  thousand  pounds,  it  is  sur- 
rounded by  logs  of  wood,  and  covered  over  at 
the  top,  and  the  fire  is  lit  up  at  the  mouth  be- 
low. A  gentle  warmth  is  given  at  first,  which  is 
raised  very  gradually,  and  kept  at  this  point  for 
about  twelve  hours,  to  allow  the  sulphur  to  dissi- 
pate;  the  heat  is  then  increased  for  the  purpose 
of  smelting  the  ore,  and  in  twelve  hours  more,  the 
operation  is  completed,  and  the  lead  obtained. 
Wood  is  occasionally  added  as  the  process  goes 
on,  and  there  is  a  practical  nicety  required  in  keep- 
ing the  furnace  in  proper  order,  regulating  the 
draught  of  air,  &zc.  so  that  some  smelters  are  much 
more  expert,  and  thereby  extract  a  greater  quanti- 
ty of  lead  from  a  like  body  of  ore,  than  others. 
This  furnace  is  called  the  Log  Furnace,  and  so  far 
as  1  know,  is  peculiar  to  this  country.  It  is  of  very 
simple  construction,  consisting  of  an  inclined 
hearth,  surrounded  by  walls  on  three  sides,  open 
at  top,  and  with  an  arch  for  the  admission  of  air 
below  ;  and  upon  the  w  hole,  it  appears  well  adapt- 
ed to  the  present  situation  and  circumstances  of 
the  people.  It  is  cheap,  simple,  may  be  built  at 
almost  any  place,  and  answers  the  purpose  very 
well.  A  good  furnace  of  this  kind  may  be  built  at  an 
expense  of  from  fifty  to  sixty  dollars,  every  expense 
considered,  and  one  of  the  most  considerable  items 
in  this  is  the  mason's  bill,  who  cannot  be  hired 
to  work  here,  for  less  than  two  dollars  a  da  v. 


*i<l. 


Lea      £{e<ir/7>       Fh 


r tt ore 


X?  J 


Fi*ll„ 


A. 


J)r7. 


Ml    HI 

11  III 
HI  111 


a.     1 


III 

ll Mil  I'  ill!1'   Il 

111  ! 
iill 
1111 


■ 


r'vr  Smelting  Lead   Ore 


95 


Plate  I.  Figure  1.  is  a  perspective  view  of  the  Log 

Furnace. 

a.  The  front  wall,  8  feet  long,  7  feet  in  height,  and 

2  feet  in  thickness. 

b.  b.  The  side  walls,  8  feet  long,  and  2  feet  thick. 

c.  The  hearth,  2  feet  wide,  and  8  feet  in  length. 

d.  d.  The  ledges  on  each   side   of  the    hearth,  10 

inches  in  height,  and  1  foot  wide.  These 
serve  to  elevate  the  logs  above  the  hearth, 
at  the  same  time  creating  a  draught  for  the 
air,  and  a  passage  for  the  lead. 

e.  The  eye  of  the  furnace,  or  arch,  2  feet  across 

at  bottom,  with  an  arch  thrown  in  a  half 
circle,  or  a  flat  stone  laid  across  at  the 
height  of  the  ledges. 

f.  The  iron   ladle  for  dipping   out    the    melted 

lead. 

g.  The  iron   mould.     Every  bar  of  lead  cast  in 

this,  is  called  Si  pig. 
h.  The  hole  in  the  ground,  for  the  reception  of 

the  lead  as  it  runs  from  the  furnace. 
Figure  2.  a   perspective  view  of  the   furnace 
from  the  back  or  open   part.     The  same  letters 
used  in  Fig.  I.  apply  to  the  same  parts  of  the  fur- 
nace in  this  figure. 

Figure  3.     Ground  plan. 

a.       The  eye  or  arch  in  front. 
h.  b.  The  side  walls. 
c.       The  hearth. 
of.  d.  The  ledges. 


96 

Three  large  oak  logs  rolled  in  from  the  back 
side,  and  resting  on  these  ledges,  on  each  end,  fill 
up  the  width  of  the  furnace;  small  split  logs 
are  then  set  up  all  around  on  the  two  sides  and 
front ;  the  ore  is  then  piled  on,  until  the  furnace  is 
lull,  and  logs  are  then  piled  over  it,  beginning  at 
the  back,  and  continuing  over  to  the  front,  so  that 
the  ore  is  completely  surrounded  by  wood.  This 
furnace  is  always  built  on  the  slope  of  a  hill,  as 
represented  in  Plate  I.  Fig.  1.  and  the  hearth  is 
laid  on  an  angle  of  45°.  so  that  it  falls  four  feet  in 
a  distance  of  eight.  Two  furnaces  of  the  size  here 
described,  are  generally  built  together,  by  which 
there  is  a  saving  made  of  the  expense  of  one  wall, 
and  the  work  is  rendered  stronger,  one  serving 
as  a  support  to  the  other.  Not  only  so,  the  same 
number  of  hands  will  keep  a  double-eyed  furnace 
in  blast,  which  are  required  at  a  single  one.  It 
takes  three  hands,  one  to  cart  wrood  during  the  day 
time,  and  the  other  two  to  relieve  each  other 
alternately,  every  twelve  hours,  at  the  furnace. 
When  a  charge  is  melted  off,  the  furnace  is  cooled, 
new  logs  and  upright  pieces  put  in,  and  the 
whole  operation  began  anew.  Twenty-four  hours 
is  the  time  generally  allotted  for  each  smelting,  but 
it  often  takes  thirty-six,  and  when  there  is  bad 
wood  and  want  of  attention,  it  requires  still  longer, 
and  indeed  the  result  is  never  so  good. 

The  ore  is  estimated  to  yield  in  the  large  way, 
fifty  per  cent,  the  first  smelling.  A  considerable 
portion  of  what  is  put  in,  does  not,  however,  get 
completely  desulphurated,  and  is  found  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  furnace  after  cooling.     This  is  chiefly 


97 

the  smallest  lumps,  which  have  fallen  through  the 
apertures  that  burn  between  the  logs,  before  they 
were  thoroughly  roasted,  and  thus  getting  out  of  the 
way  of  the  heat,  lie  entangled  with  the  ashes.  Some 
lumps  which  are  too  large,  also  escape  complete 
desulphuration,  and  either  remain  unmelted,  or  else, 
when  the  fire  is  raised,  melt  altogether,  into  a  kind 
of  slag,  and  produce  little  or  no  metallic  lead. 
This  constitutes  what  are  called  the  lead  ashes. 
The  larger  pieces,  consisting  of  ore  but  partially 
desulphurated,  are  carefully  picked  out  from 
among  the  ashes,  and  added  at  the  next  smelting 
in  the  log  furnace;  the  remainder  is  thrown  by  in 
heaps  for  further  examination. 

The  lead  ashes  are  still  rich  in  lead,  and  when  a 
sufficient  quantity  has  accumulated  from  repeated 
smeltings,  it  is  taken  off  to  a  proper  place  contrived 
for  the  purpose,  and  separated  from  the  cinders, 
wood-ashes,  and  other  adhering  impurities.  This 
is  done  by  washing  the  whole  in  buddies,  one  set  be- 
low another,  in  the  manner  of  the  potter,  when  it 
is  necessary  to  search  his  clays.  The  ashes,  which 
consist  of  clotted  lumps  of  a  moderate  hardness, 
are  first  pounded  to  a  gross  powder,  and  then  in- 
troduced into  the  water  through  a  sieve.  The  wood- 
ashes,  and  other  impurities  being  lighter,  swim  on 
the  top,  and  by  letting  off  the  water,  are  (hus  carri- 
ed away.  Fresh  water  is  added,  the  ashes  brisk- 
ly stirred  with  a  hoe,  and  the  water  again  let  o% 
carrying  a  further  portion  of  impurity  with  it,  and 
by  repeating  this  operation  several  times,  the  lead 
ashes  are  brought  to  the  required  degree  of  purity. 
Thus    washed,   they  are  carried   to   a  furnace 

13 


98 

of  a  different  construction,  called  the  Ash  Fur- 
nace, (see  Plate  2.)  and  undergo  a  second  smelt* 
ing. 

Plate  II.  Figure  1.    A  perspective  view  of  the  Ash 

Furnace. 

a.  The  ash-pit,  2  feet  wide,  6  feet  long,  and  20 

inches  in  height. 

b.  The  mouth  of  the  fire-arch,  a  foot  square. 

c.  The  mouth  of  the  flue,  where  the  charge    is 

put  in. 

d.  The  iron  pot  for  the  lead  to  flow  in,  when  the 

furnace  is  tapped. 

Figure  2.  A  longitudinal  section  through  the  fur- 
nace  at  right  angles  with  the  front,  showing  the 
curve  of  the  arch,  flue,  &c. 

a.  The  ash-pit. 

b.  The  grates,  10  inches  square,  and  3  feet  long; 

these  are  pieces  of  hewn  stone. 

c.  The  mouth  of  the  fire  arch. 

d.  The  santee,  consisting   of    two    stones,   3  feet 

long,  and  3  feet  6  inches  wide,  with  a  thick- 
ness of  6  or  7  inches.  They  reach  from 
the  bottom  of  the  ash-pit,  to  a  foot  above  the 
basin-stone,  the  interstice  between  them  be- 
ing rammed  full  of  clay,  and  the  whole  mea- 
sures 18  inches  across.  (This  keeps  the  lead, 
slag,  &c.  from  running  into  the  fire  arch,  and 
is  an  important  part  of  the  furnace,  requir- 


99 

ing  considerable  skill  and  accuracy  in  the 
construction.) 

«.  The  basin-stone,  4  feet  square,  and  1  foot 
thick. 

/.  The  flue,  or  throat,  10  feet  long,  22  inches 
wide,  and  1 1  inches  in  height.  This  must  be 
continued  a  foot  and  an  half  over  the  mouth 
of  the  flue,  or  apron,  making  the  whole  length 
eleven  and  a  half  feet,  some  prefer  the  flue 
twelve  and  a  half  feet. 

g.  The  mouth  of  the  flue  or  apron,  where  the 
furnace  is  charged  ;  this  flares  from  22  inches 
to  3  feet  in  a  distance  of  3  feet,  (as  shown  in 
Fig.  3.) 

h.  The  fire  arch,  3  feet  high  in  the  centre,  1 8  in- 
ches high  where  the  arch  begins  to  spring, 
and  the  same  over  the  centre  of  the  basin 
stone. 

Figure  3.     Ground  Plan. 

From  a  to  b,  8  feet ;  from  b  to  c,  8  feet  6  inches 
from  a  to  d,  8  feet  6  inches ;  from  e  to  /,  6  feet ; 
from  e  to  g,  13  feet. 
h.  The  basin,  4  feet  long,   and   22  inches  wide, 

except  in  the  centre,  where  it  is  24  inches 

wide. 
L   The  flue. 
k.  The  mouth  of  the  flue,  or  apron,  8  feet  at  the 

front,  and  22  inches  in  rear. 
/.  The  santee. 
m.  The   6re-arch,  with  grates  at  bottom ;  (this  is 

22  inches  wide  at  each  end,  24  inches  in  the 


100 

centre,  and  5  feet  long  from  the  inside  of  its 

mouth  to  the  santee.) 
n.  The  mouth  of  the  fire  arch. 
o.  The  iron    pot  for  the  lead  to  (low  into,  set  in 

the  curve  made  in  the  wall  for  convenience 

of  tapping. 
p.  The  curve  in  the  wall  for  drawing  off  the  slag. 

Figure  4.     A  perspective  view  oRhe  mouth  of  the 
flue  where  the  furnace  is  charged. 

From  a  to  b,  6  feet ;  from  a  to  c,  5  feet ;  from  a 
to  d,  1  foot. 

c.  The  mouth  of  the   flue  22  inches  wide,    and 
1 1  high.     (This  flares  out  to  3  feet  in  the  dis- 
tance of  three  feet,  the  flue  covering  half  of 
it,  so  that  the  heat  may  be  thrown  down  on 
the  ashes. 
One  of  the  principal  points  to  be  attended  to  in 
building  an  ash-furnace,   is  the  elevation  of  the 
flue.     It  should  rise  5jr  feet  in  !0  :  some  prefer  5|- 
in  11.     If  the  ascent  be  too  steep,  the  ore  will  run 
down  into  the  basin  before  it  gets  hot,  which  is 
detrimental.     If  the  ascent  be  too  low,  the  bottom 
of  the  flue  next  to  the  basin  will  soon  cut  away  by 
the  heat,  and  thus  in  a  short  time  undermine,  and 
destroy  the  furnace. 

The  flux  employed  is  also  a  matter  of  moment. 
Sand,  and  pulverized  flinty  gravel,  are  mixed  with 
the  lead  ashes  before  smelting.  The  object  of 
this  is  to  promote  the  vitrification  of  the  slag, 
which  would  otherwise  remain  stiff;  the  particles 
of  revived  lead  would  not  sink  through  to  the  bot* 


j3.3~h     Trurna.ee 


Fign. 


FigHl. 


a.  d. 


ngj\r. 


HA.S,-konlri;>ft  Met.  J.D.Sttrul  So!    27.  Y,-rh. 

for    Smelting   JJead.  vls7ies:3Tissoicri. 


101 

torn,  but  remain  entangled  with  it,  and  thus  be  lost. 
Lime  is  also  sometimes  em  ployed  for  the  same 
purpose,  and  indeed  any  earth  would  operate  as 
a  flux  to  the  scoriacious  part  of  the  lead  ashes,  if 
added  in  a  due  proportion,  particularly  the  alka- 
line earths.     Lime  and  barytes,  both  of  which  are 
afforded  in  plenty  at  the  mines,  might  therefore 
be  advantageously  employed,  when  no  sand  or 
easy-melting  silicious  gravel  could  be  obtained. 
Good  fusible  sands  are  readily  attacked,  and  li- 
quified by  submitting  to  heat  with  oxydes  of  lead, 
alkaline  salts,  or  any  other  alkaline  or  metallic 
flux ;  hence  their  extreme  utility  in  glass,  enamels, 
and  all  other  vitrescent  mixtures.     When,  there- 
fore, silicious  sand  is  to  be  obtained,  it  will  be 
found  a  more  powerful   flux  to  lead   ashes  than 
either  gravel,  lime,  spars,  or  any  other  substance, 
if  we  except  the  fluor  spar.     This  is  probably  bet- 
ter adapted  as  a  flux  than  even  silicious  sands,  but 
it  has  not  yet  been  brought  to  light  at  the  lead 
mines.     Perhaps  the  lower  strata  of  the  earth  may 
afford  it.     It  is  found  at  a  lead  mine  near  Cave-in- 
Rock,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ohio  river,  State  of 
Illinois,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  little  found  at 
Northampton,  Massachusetts,   is  the  only  place 
where  this  rare,  useful,  and  beautiful  mineral  oc- 
curs in  the  United  States*. 


*  I  was  mistaken  in  supposing  this  the  only  locality  of  the  filiate  of  lime 
in  the  United  States.  It  has  also  been  found  "  in  Virginia,  near  Wood- 
stock or  Miller's  town,  Shenandoah  Co.  in  small  loose  masses  in  the  fissures 
of  a  limestone  containing  shells.  (Barton.) — In  Maryland,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Blue  Ridge,  with  sulphate  of  barytes.  (Hayden.) — In  Neiv-Jersey, 
near  Franklin  Furnace,  in  Sussex  Co.  disseminated  in  lamellar  carbonate  of 
lime,  and  accompanied  with  mica  and  carburet  of  iron  ; — also  near  Ham- 


102 

The  situation  for  an  ash  furnace  is  always  chose 
on  the  declivity  of  a  hill,  as  represented  in  the 
plate.   The  inside  work,  or  lining,  consists  of  slabs 
of  hewn  limestone,  laid  in  clay -mortar,  and  backed 
by  solid  masonry.     Although  a  stone  less  adapted 
for  furnaces  could  hardly  be  found,  yet  it  is  made 
here  to  answer  the  purpose,  arid  is  an  evidence  of 
the  ingenuity  of  men  in  making  a  bad  material  an- 
swer when  a  good  one  cannot  be  found.     No  sand 
stone  or  free  stone  of  that  refractory  kind  used  in 
glass  and  iron  furnaces  is  afforded  in  this  vicinity, 
and  the  smelters  seem  to  prefer  building  their  fur- 
naces often,  to  incurring  the  expense  of  transport- 
ing good  infusible  sand  stones  from  a  distance.     It 
is  not  perhaps  duly  considered,  that  a  furnace  built 
of  refractory  materials,  although  expensive  in  the 
erection,  would  be  sufficiently  durable  to  warrant 
that  expense,  and  outlast  several  built  of  limestone 
which  burn  out  every  blast,  and  are  obliged  to  be 
rebuilt  from  the  foundation. 

Limestone  is  a  combination  of  the  pure  earth 
lime  with  carbonic  acid  and  water  ;  it  is  a  carbonat  of 
lime.  When  subjected  to  a  red  heat,  it  parts  with 
its  carbonic  acid  and  water,  and  if  the  operation  be 
continued  long  enough,  is  converted  into  quick- 
lime.    This  effect,  therefore,  takes  place  as  well  in 


burg,  in  the  same  Co.  on  the  turnpike  to  Pompton,  in  a  vein  of  quartz  and 
feldspar.  (Bruce.) — In  New-York,  near  Saratoga  Springs,  in  limestone  ;  it  is 
nearly  colourless,  and  penetrated  by  pyrites. — In  Vermont,  at  Thetford. — 
In  Connecticut,  at  Middletown,  in  a  vein,  and  is  accompanied  by  sulphurets 
of  lead,  zinc,  and  iron.  (Bruce.) — In  Massachusetts,  at  the  lead  mine  in 
Southampton,  where  it  is  imbedded  in  sulphate  ofbarytes,  or  granite;  its 
colours  are  green,  purple,  Sec. — In  Ntw  Hampshire,  at  Rosebrook's  Gap,  in 
the  White  Mountains,  in  small  detached  pieces.  (Gibbs.)" 

CleavclancTs  Mineralogy. 


103 

the  lead  furnace  as  in  the  lime-kiln,  and  with  this 
difference  only,  that  in  the  former  it  is  laid  in  a 
wall,  protected  in  some  degree  from  the  heat,  and 
will  not  part  with  its  carbonic  acid  readily;  while 
in  the  latter,  it  is  broken  into  comparatively  small 
lumps,  exposed  to  the  heat  on  all  sides,  and  is 
easily  and  readily  converted  into  quicklime. 

Nevertheless,  although  this  calcination  is  con- 
stantly and  slowly  progressing,  an  ash  furnace  will 
last  from  15  to  20  days,  according  to  the  skill 
which  has  been  displayed  in  its  construction,  and 
the  particular  quality  of  the  stone  employed. 
When  the  stone  partakes  of  clay  (alumina)  it  runs 
into  a  variety  of  argillaceous  limestone,  and  is  mani- 
festly better  adapted  to  resist  the  effects  of  fire. 
Whenever  the  furnace  is  cooled,  so  that  the  stone 
can  attract  moisture  from  the  atmosphere,  it  falls 
into  quicklime.  This  change  does  not,  however, 
take  place  rapidly,  for  the  burning  has  seldom 
been  uniform,  and  the  stones  have  either  been 
overburned  or  not  burned  enough,  so  that  it  requires 
several  days,  and  even  weeks,  to  assume  the  pow- 
dery state. 

An  ash  furnace,  built  of  limestone,  is  estimated 
to  cost  $100.  This  includes  every  expense,  and 
such  a  furnace  lasts  during  one  blast,  say  15  or  20 
days ;  perhaps  with  great  care  it  will  run  a  month  f 
and  during  this  time  from  60  to  90,000  lbs.  of  lead 
ought  to  be  made. 

When  a  furnace  is  completed,  it  requires  several 
days  to  dry  it,  and  bring  it  to  the  proper  state  for 
smelting.  About  10  days  are  usually  spent  in  this. 
The  fire  is  begun  very  moderately  at  first,  being 


104 

only  the  warmth  of  a  hot  smoke,  and  is  kept  so 
for  the  first  5  days,  by  which  means  the  moisture 
of  the  mortar  and  stone  is  gradually  expelled,  and 
without  any  danger  of  cracking  the  stone,  or  other- 
wise injuring  the  furnace.  It  is  then  raised  a  little 
every  day  until  the  furnace  is  brought  up  to  a  full 
red  heat,  when  it  is  ready  for  the  first  charge  of 
ashes. 

The  operation  begins  by  shovelling  a  layer  of 
ashes  on  the  mouth  of  the  flue,  then  adding  a  thin 
layer  of  sand  or  flinty  gravel  as  a  flux,  and  then 
more  ashes  ;  and  so  adding  ashes  and  gravel  alter- 
nately until  the  required  quantity  is  shovelled  up. 
This  is  suffered  to  lie  here  and  grow  thoroughly- 
hot  before  it  is  shoved  down  the  flue  into  the  ba- 
sin, for  if  introduced  cold,  it  would  check  the  heat 
too  suddenly,  and  prove  injurious  in  the  result. 
When  hot,  the  charge  is  shoved  down  the  flue 
with  a  long  handled  iron  hoe,  and  another  portion 
of  ashes  and  gravel  immediately  shovelled  on  the 
mouth,  suffered  to  heat,  and  then  pushed  down  as 
before.  This  operation  of  heating  and  charging  is 
continued  until  the  furnace  has  a  full  charge,  which 
may  require  about  6  hours,  and  in  two  hours  more 
the  furnace  is  ready  for  tapping.  The  slag,  which 
is  in  a  very  fluid  state  on  the  top  of  the  lead,  is 
first  drawn  off,  and  the  aperture  closed  up  with 
stone  and  mortar.  The  smelter  then  goes  to  the 
opposite  side  of  the  furnace,  and  prepares  for 
drawing  off  the  lead  by  driving  a  stout  sharp 
pointed  iron  bar  through  the  side  of  the  furnace, 
at  a  particular  place  contrived  for  this  purpose. 
On  removing  the  bar,  the  metallic  lead  flows  out 


105 

into  a  large  iron  pot  set  in  the  ground,  and  accom- 
panied by  a  considerable  quantity  of  a  semi-me- 
tallic substance,   called  zane.     This   is   lead  not 
perfectly   revived,    being    combined   with    some 
earthy  particles,  and  oxyd  of  lead.     The  zane  oc- 
cupies the  top  of  the  pot,  and  is  first  laded  out  in- 
to hemispherical  holes  dug  in  the  clay  near  by. 
This  substance  is  of  the  consistence  of  the  prepar- 
ed sand  used  by  brass  founders  when  hot,  but  ac- 
quires considerable  solidity  when  cold.     The  me- 
tallic lead  is  then  laded  into  iron  moulds  of  about 
eighteen  inches  in  length,   and  yielding  a  pig  of 
lead  of  about  fifty  pounds  each.     The  quantity  of 
zane  made  at  each  tapping,  is  about  equal  to  that 
of  metallic  lead.     This  is  afterwards  taken  to  the 
log  furnace,  and  readily  converted  into  lead.  The 
lead  made  at  the  ash  furnace  is  not  thought  to  be 
of  so  pure  a  quality,  as  that  of  the  first  smelting 
made  at  the  log  furnace.     It  undoubtedly    con- 
tains the  silver,  antimony,  and  other  metals,  (if 
any,)  combined  with   the    ore,    and   is   therefore 
more  refractory.     Such  lead   is  thought  to  be  a 
little  harder,  and  some  pretend  to  discover  a  lighter 
colour. 

The  lead  ashes  are  reckoned  to  yield  fifteen  per 
cent,  of  lead,  (zane  and  all,)  which,  added  to  the 
first  smelting,  makes  an  average  produce  of  sixty- 
five  per  cent.  This  estimate  will  hold  good  uni- 
formly, when  the  ores  have  been  properly  dressed, 
and  the  smelting  well  performed.  Any  spar  ad- 
hering to  the  ore,  renders  it  refractory,  so  does 
blende,  and  pyrites.     The  latter  is  particularly  in- 

14 


106 

jurious,   as  it  consists  chiefly  of  sulphur,  a  sub- 
stance known  to  render  all  ores  refractory. 

The  slag  created  by  the  ash  furnace,  is  a  heavy, 
black,  glassy  substance,  well  melted,  and  still  con- 
taining a  portion  of  lead.  Some  attempts  have 
been  made,  to  obtain  a  further  portion  of  lead  from 
it,  by  smelting  with  charcoal  in  a  blastfurnace; 
but  the  undertaking  has  not  been  attended  with 
complete  success,  and  is  not  generally  thought  to 
warrant  the  expenses.  The  per  cent,  of  lead  re- 
covered from  the  slag  is  not  estimated  over  ten, 
and  with  the  utmost  success,  cannot  be  reckoned 
to  overgo  twelve. 

Metallic  lead  in  the  pig,  is  now,  (Feb.  1819.) 
worth  $4  per  cwt.  at  the  mines.  It  sells  for  $4  50 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  at  St.  Genevieve 
and  Herculaneum;  for  $5  bO  in  New-Orleans; 
and  is  quoted  at  $6,  in  Philadelphia.  This  is 
lower  than  has  ever  been  known  before,  (except 
at  one  period,)  and  a  consequent  depression  in  the 
mining  business  is  felt.  There  is  a  governmental 
duty  of  one  cent  per  pound,  on  all  bar  and  pig 
lead  imported  into  the  United  States,  but  it  does 
not  amount  to  a  prohibition  of  foreign  lead 
from  our  markets.  Perhaps  such  a  prohibition 
might  be  deemed  expedient.  It  is  what  the  lead 
smelters  here  call  for,  and  certainly  the  resources 
of  this  country  are  very  ample,  not  only  for  sup- 
plying the  domestic  consumption,  but  for  exporta- 
tion. 

Those  who  dig  the  ore  do  not  always  smelt  it. 
The  merchants  are  generally  the  smelters,  and 
either  employ  their  own  slaves  in  raising  the  ore, 


107 

or  pay  a  stipulated  price  per  cwt.  to  those  who 
choose  to  dig.  For  every  hundred  pounds  of  ore, 
properly  cleaned,  the  digger  receives  two  dollars. 
He  works  on  his  own  account,  and  runs  the  risk 
of  finding  ore.  It  is  estimated  that  an  ordinary 
hand  will  raise  a  hundred  weight  per  day,  on  the 
average,  of  a  year  together.  This  depends,  how- 
ever, much  upon  luck ;  sometimes  a  vast  body  is 
fallen  upon,  with  a  few  hours  labour;  at  others,  ma- 
ny weeks  are  spent  without  finding  any.  He  who 
perseveres  will,  however,  generally  succeed,  and 
the  labour  bestowed  upon  the  most  unpromising 
mine,  is  never  wholly  lost.  The  above  average 
has  been  made  by  those  long  conversant  with  the 
business,  and  upon  a  full  consideration  of  all 
risks. 

Custom  has  established  a  number  of  laws  among 
the  miners,  with  regard  to  digging,  which  have  a 
tendency  to  prevent  disputes.  Whenever  a  disco- 
very is  made,  the  person  making  it,  is  entitled  to 
claim  the  ground  for  twenty-five  feet  in  every  di- 
rection from  his  pit,  giving  him  fifty  feet  square. 
Other  diggers,  are  each  entitled  to  twelve  feet 
square,  which  is  just  enough  to  sink  a  pit,  and  af- 
ford room  for  throwing  out  the  earth.  Each  one 
measures  and  stakes  ofF  his  ground,  and  though  he 
should  not  begin  to  work  for  several  days  after- 
wards, no  person  will  intrude  upon  it.  On  this 
spot  he  digs  down,  but  is  not  allowed  to  run  drifts 
horizontally  so  as  to  break  into,  or  undermine  the 
pits  of  others.  If  appearances  are  unpromising, 
or  he  strikes  the  rock,  and  chooses  to  abandon  his 
pit,  he  can  go  on  any  unoccupied  ground,  and  ob- 


108 

serving  the  same  precautions,  begin  anew.  In  such 
a  case,  the  abandoned  pit  may  be  occupied  by  any 
other  person,  and  sometimes  large  bodies  of  ore 
are  found  by  the  second  occupant,  by  a  little  work, 
which  would  have  richly  rewarded  the  labours  of 
the  first,  had  he  persevered. 

In  digging  down  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet,  the 
rock  is  generally  struck,  and  as  the  signs  of  ore  fre- 
quently give  out  on  coming  to  the  rock,  many  of  the 
pits  are  carried  no  further.  This  rock  is  invariably 
limestone,  though  there  are  many  varieties  of  it, 
the  texture  varying  from  very  hard  and  compact,  to 
soft  and  friable.     The  former  is  considered  by  the 
diggers  as  a  flinty  stone,  the  latter  is  called  rotten 
limestone,  and  from  its  crumbling  between  the  fin- 
gers, and  falling  into  grains,  there  is  a  variety  of 
it  called  sandstone.     It  is  all,  however,   a  calcare- 
ous carbonat,  will  burn  into  quick-lime  ;  and,  as  I 
find  on  experiment,  is  completely  soluble  in  the 
t  litric  acid.    As  no  remains  or  impressions  of  shells, 
animalcula,  or  other  traces  of  animal  life,  are  to 
be  found  in  it,  I  conclude  it  to  be  what  geologists 
term   jm?nitive    limestone,  a   conclusion   which   is 
strengthened  by  its  irregular  form.     It  exhibits  no 
regular  strata,  being  always  found  in  huge  mis-sha- 
pen masses.     How  far  this  formation  extends,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  determine,  but  so  far  as  my 
observation  goes,  it  is  invariably  the  basis  on  which 
the  mineral  soil  at  Mine  a  Burton,  and  the  nume- 
rous mines  in  its  vicinity,  reposes.     It  passes  into 
transition  and  secondary  limestone  in  various  places 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  between  Cape  Gi- 
rardeau and  St  Louis.     It  is  also  seen  passing  into 


109 

a  variety  of  marble,  on  the  bluffs  immediately  back 
of  Herculaneum,  and  at  Judge  Bent's  plantation 
three  miles  below  St.  Louis.  I  have  seen  no  spe- 
cimens of  this  mineral,  however,  which  can  be 
considered  as  a  valuable  material  in  sculpture. 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  per  cent,  of  lead 
obtained   in  smelting  in   the    large  way.     I  shall 
here  add  the  result  of  an  assay  made  on  the  ore. 
One  hundred  parts  of  ore  yielded  as  follows: 
Metallic  lead  82 

Sulphur  driven  offby  torrefaction  1 1 
Earthy  matter,  and  further  por- 
6   tion  of  sulphur,  either  combin- 
ed with  the  scoria,   or  driven 
off  by  heat  7  by  estimation. 


100 
The  ore  experimented  upon,  was  the  common  ore 
of  Mine  a  Burton,  {galena.)  I  took  a  lump  of  the 
purest  ore,  completely  freed  from  all  sparry  and 
other  extraneous  matter,  beat  it  into  a  very  gross 
powder,  and  roasted  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  in  a 
moderate  heat,  with  frequent  stirring.  On  weighing 
the  mass,  it  had  lost  1 1  of  sulphur.  I  now  beat 
this  to  a  very  fine  powder,  and  treated  it  with  a 
strong  flux  of  nitre  and  dry  carbonat  of  soda,  add- 
ing some  iron  filings  to  absorb  the  last  portions  of 
sulphur.  The  whole  was  enclosed  in  a  good  Hes- 
sian crucible,  previously  smeared  with  charcoal 
with  a  luted  cover ;  and  exposed  for  twenty 
minutes,  to  the  high  heat  of  a  small  chymical  blast 
furnace. 


110 

The  richest  species  of  galena  of  which  we  have 
any  account,  is  that  of  Durham,  England.  An  an- 
alysis of  a  specimen  of  this  ore  by  Dr.  Thompson, 
gave  the  following  result : 

Lead  85  13 

Sulphur  13  02 

Oxyd  of  iron    0  5 


98  65 
Many  of  the  English,  and  nearly  all  the  German 
ores  are,  however,  much  poorer.  Of  five  several 
experiments  made  by  Vauquelin  on  ores  from  dif- 
ferent mines  in  Germany,  sixty-five  per  cent,  of  lead 
was  the  richest,  and  all  were  united  with  uncom- 
mon portions  of  carbonated  lime  and  silex. 

The  button  of  metallic  lead  found  at  the  bottom 
of  the  crucible  in  chymical  assays,  contains  also  the 
silver,  and  other  metals,  if  any  are  present  in  the 
ores.  So  also  in  smelting  in  the  large  way,  the 
pig  lead  is  always  united  with  the  other  metals. 
When  ores  of  lead  contain  any  notable  portion  of 
silver,  they  assume  a  fine  steel  grain,  and  the  crys- 
tals, which  are  smaller  than  in  common  galena,  of- 
tener  affect  the  octohedral,  than  the  cubical 
figure.  They  are  also  harder  to  melt,  and  the 
lead  obtained,  is  not  of  so  soft  and  malleable  a  na- 
ture, as  that  procured  from  the  broad  grained, 
easy-melting  ore. 

The  proportion  of  silver  in  lead  varies  greatly.  It 
is  sometimes  found  to  yield  as  high  as  twelve  per 
cent,  and  is  then  called  argentiferous  lead-glance,  but 
in  the  poorest  ores,  it  does  not  yield  more  than 
one  ounce  out  of  three  hundred.     To  separate  the 


Ill 

silver  from  the  lead,  a  process  is  pursued,  called 
the  refining  oflead,  or  cupcllation.  This  is  effect- 
ed by  exposing  the  lead  to  a  moderate  heat  in  a 
cupell,  and  removing  the  oxyd  as  soon  as  it  forms 
on  the  surface,  until  the  whole  is  calcined,  leaving 
the  silver  in  the  bottom  of  the  cupell.  The  lead  in 
this  process  is  converted  into  litharge,  the  well 
known  substance  of  commerce ;  and  the  silver  is 
afterwards  refined  by  a  second  process,  in  which 
the  last  portions  oflead  are  entirely  got  rid  of.  This 
process  is  known  at  the  German  refineries  under 
the  name  of  silber  brennen,  burning  silver. 

The  rationale  of  cupellation,  is  simply  this.  Lead 
on  exposure  to  heat  with  access  of  air,  is  covered, 
by  a  thin  pellicle  or  scum,  called  an  oxyd ;  and  by 
removing  this,  another  is  formed,  and  so  by  con- 
tinuing to  take  ofFthe  oxyd,  the  whole  quantity  of 
lead  is  converted  into  an  oxyd.  It  is  called  an 
oxyd,  because  it  is  a  combination  of  lead  with 
oxygen,  (one  of  the  principles  of  air  and  of  water.) 
By  this  combination,  an  increase  of  weight  takes 
place,  so  that  a  hundred  pounds  of  bar  lead  con- 
verted into  the  state  of  an  oxyd,  will  weigh  as 
much  over  a  hundred,  as  the  weight  of  the  oxygen 
which  it  has  attracted  from  the  atmosphere.  Sil- 
ver, however,  on  being  exposed  to  heat  in  the 
same  situation,  cannot  be  converted  into  an  oxyd  ; 
it  has  no  attractive  power  for  oxygen.  Hence, 
when  this  metal  is  contained  in  a  bar  of  lead,  the 
lead  only  is  oxygated  on  exposure  in  a  cupell, 
whilst  the  silver  remains  unaltered,  but  constantly 
concentrating  and   sinking,   till  the  lead  is   all 


112 


calcined.     This  is  known  to  a  practised  eye,  by 
the  increased  splendour  assumed  by  the  metal. 

I  do  not  think  the  ore  of  Mine  a  Burton  contains 
a  sufficient  quantity  of  silver,  to  render  the  separa- 
tion an  object.  This  is  to  be  inferred  from  its  mi- 
neralogical  character,  from  the  mathematical 
figure  and  size  of  the  crystal,  its  colour,  splen- 
dour, &c.  The  territory  is  not,  however,  deficient 
in  ores  which  are  valuable  for  the  silver  they  con- 
tain. The  head  of  White  River,  the  Arkansaw, 
the  Merrimack,  and  Strawberry  divers,  all  afford 
ores  of  lead,  the  appearance  of  which,  leads  us  to 
conclude  they  may  yield  silver  in  considerable 
quantity.  Decisive  experiments  have  only  been 
made  upon  that  from  Arkansaw ;  and  upon  the 
whole,  it  is  a  subject  upon  which  1  can  say  lit- 
tle from  my  own  experiments,  or  my  own  observa- 
tion. 


SECTION  V. 

•dnnaal  Produce,  and  number  of  hands  employed. 


On  this  head,  I  find  it  very  difficult  to  procure 
proper  information.  The  desultory  manner  in 
which  the  mines  have  been  wrought,  and  the 
imperfect  method  in  which  accounts  have  been 
kept,  when  kept  at  all,  with  other  circumstances, 
which  are  in  some  measure  incidental  to  the 
operations  of  mining  in  a  new  country,  op- 
pose so  many  obstacles  in  the  way  of  obtaining 
the  desired  information,  that  I  rind  it  impossible  to 
present  a  correct  statement,  from  authentic  sources, 
of  the  annual  produce  of  the  mines,  for  any 
series  of  years.  When  Louisiana  was  first  occu- 
pied by  the  United  States,  Mine  a  Burton,  and. 
Mine  La  Motte,  were  the  principal  mines  wrought; 
but  the  few  Americans  who  had  emigrated  into 
the  territory,  under  the  Spanish  government,  were 
fully  aware  of  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from 
the  smelting  of  lead,  and,  united  to  the  emigrant 
population  which  shortly  succeeded,  made  many 
new  discoveries,  and  the  business  was  prosecuted 
with  increased  vigour,  and  to  a  much  greater  ex- 
tent. The  interior  parts  of  the  country,  and  such 
as  had  before  been  deemed  dangerous  on  account 
of  the  savages,  were  now  eagerly  explored:  and 

15 


114 

the  fortunate  discovery  of  several  immense  bodies 
of  ore  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  whereby  the 
discoverers  enriched  themselves  by  a  few  days 
labour,  had  a  tendency  greatly  to  increase  the 
fame  of  the  mines,  and  the  number  of  miners.  But, 
as  it  generally  happens  in  new  countries,  among 
the  number  of  emigrants,  were  several  desperate 
adventurers,  and  men  of  the  most  abandoned  cha- 
racter. Hence  the  mines  soon  became  the  scene 
of  every  disorder,  depravity,  and  crime,  and  a 
common  rendezvous  for  renegadoes  of  all  parts. 
It  is  by  such  persons,  that  many  of  the  mines  were 
discovered,  and  several  of  them  wrought;  and  it 
is,  therefore,  no  subject  of  surprise,  that  on  inqui- 
ry, no  accounts  of  the  quantity  of  lead  made,  and 
the  number  of  hands  employed,  are  to  be  found. 

To  secure  the  public  interest,  and  remedy,  in 
some  degree,  the  irregularities  practised  at  the 
mines,  a  law  was  passed  in  Congress  a  few  years 
after  the  cession  of  Louisiana,   reserving  all  lead 
mines,  salt  springs,  &c.  which  should  be  discovered 
on  the   public  lands    subsequent  to  that  period  ; 
and  the  governor  of  the  territory  was,  at  the  same 
time,  authorized  to  grant  leases  to  discoverers  for 
three  yearn     The  great  defect  of  that  law  appears 
always  to  have  been,  that  a  specific  agent  was  not 
at  the  same  time  authorized  to   be  appointed  for 
the  general  superintendence,  inspection,  and  ma- 
nagement of  mines, — an  office  which,  from  its  na- 
ture,  can  never  be  properly    s>corporated  with 
that  of  the  territorial  executive,  and   which,  with 
every  inclination,  it  is  presumed  his  other  avoca- 
tions would  prevent  him  from  discharging  either 


115 

with  usefulness  to  the  public,  or  satisfaction  to 
himself.  But  whatever  be  the  defect  of  the  law, 
certainly  the  advantages  which  the  government 
proposed  to  derive  from  it  have  not  accrued.  No 
revenue,  it  is  understood,  has  yet  been  realized 
under  it,  and  we  are  now  as  much  at  a  loss  how  to 
arrive  at  a  true  statement  of  the  mineral  produce 
of  Missouri,  as  if  the  mines  had  never  been  a  sub- 
ject of  governmental  legislation. 

When  a  discovery  of  lead  has  been  made,  the 
miners  fr;>m  the  neighbouring  country  have  flocked 
to  it,  and  commenced  digging  as  usual,  no  one 
troubling  himself  about  a  lease,  and  thus  the  pro 
visions  of  the  act  have  been  in  a  great  measure 
disregarded.  Men  of  respectability,  and  of  suffi- 
cient capital  to  carry  on  mining  in  a  systematic 
manner,  have,  it  is  believed,  been  frequently  de- 
terred from  making  applications  for  leases,  from 
the  short  period  for  which  only  they  can  be  granted. 
It  would  not  warrant  the  expenses  of  sinking  shafts, 
erecting  permanent  furnaces,  galleries,  and  other 
works  necessary  for  prosecuting  the  business  to 
advantage ;  for,  no  sooner  would  such  works  be 
erected,  and  the  mines  begin  to  be  effectually 
wrought,  than  the  expiration  of  the  lease  would 
throw  them  into  the  hands  of  some  more  successful 
applicant. 

But,  although  we  have  no  data  to  form  an  au- 
thenticated schedule  of  the  annual  product  of  the 
mines,  for  any  required  number  of  years,  there  is 
something  to  be  obtained  by  collecting  and  com- 
paring facts,  detached  and  scanty  as  they  are. 
Something  also  is  to  be  acquired  by  consulting  the 


116 

books  which  have  been  kept  for  late  years  in  the 
ware  houses  on  the  Mississippi,  where  the  lead  is 
sent  for  exportation,  and  some  information  is  also 
to  be  gleaned  from  various  other  sources.  It  is 
from  information  thus  obtained,  that  I  proceed  to 
an  enumeration  of  the  products  of  the  different 
mines,  and  the  number  of  persons  to  whom  they 
furnish  employment  and  support,  satisfied  at  the 
same  time,  that  although  the  information  may  not 
be  all  that  could  be  desired,  yet  it  is  all,  which, 
without  the  most  extraordinary  exertions,  could  be 
obtained. 

The  amount  of  crude  ore  delivered  at  the  fur- 
naces of  Mine  Shibboleth,   during  one  of  its  most 
productive  years  (1811}  was  something  rising  of 
5,000,000  of  pounds.     The  ore  of  this  mine  is  es- 
timated to  yield,  in  the  large  way,  from  60  to  70 
per  cent. ;  reckoned  at  62|,  which  is  probably  a 
fair  average.   The  product  of  that  mine  in  181 1  was 
three  millions,    one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
pounds.     Shibboleth  is,  however,  one  of  the  richest 
mines  in  the  Territory,  and  this  is  the  product  of 
one  of  those  years  in  which  it  was  most  profitably 
worked.     It  was  then  a  new  discovery,  vast  bodies 
of  ore  were  found  near  the  surface,  and  the  num- 
ber of  miners  drawn  together  by  the  fame  of  its 
riches,  was  uncommonly  great.     It  has  since  de- 
clined, although  the  ore  is  Constantly  found  ;  and 
I  am  informed  by  Col.  Smith,  the  present  proprie- 
tor, that  the  product  this  year  (1819)  will  be  about 
one  million  of  pounds. 

The  number  of  persons  employed  in  digging 
lead  at  Mine  a  Burton  has  been  constantly  lessen- 


117 

ing  for  the  last  4  or  5  years  ;  and  this  celebrated 
mine,  which  has  been  worked  without  interruption 
for  more  than  40  years,  and  is  stated  to  have  yield- 
ed as  high  as  three  millions  per  annum,  is  manifestly 
in  a  state  of  decline.     During  the    last  summer, 
(1818)  the  greater  part  of  which  1  resided  at  that 
place,  there  were  not  more  than  30  miners  em- 
ployed, and  the  total  product  of  the  different  pits, 
shaits,  and  diggings,  composing  this  mine,  did  not 
exceed  half  a  million  of  pounds.     Of  this  quantity, 
Messrs. Samuel  Perry&Co.  were  the  manufacturers 
of  about  300,000  lbs.     They  contemplate  making 
an  increased  quantity   during  the  present  year. 
John  Rice  Jones,  Esq.  is  also  engaged  in  penetrat- 
ing the  rock  in  search  of  ore,  with  the  most  flatter- 
ing prospects ;   and  is  determined,  as  he  informs 
me,  to  sink  through  the  upper  stratum  of  limestone, 
and   ascertain    the   character  of  the  succeeding 
formations.     It  is  highly  probable,  reasoning  from 
geognostic  relations,  that  the  lower  formations  will 
prove  metalliferous,  yielding  both  lead  and  copper, 
and  such  a  discovery  would  form  a  new  era  in  the 
history  of  those  mines.     The  present  mode  of  pro- 
miscuous digging  on  the  surface  would   then  be 
abandoned,  and  people  made  to  see  and  to  realize 
the  advantages  of  the  only  system  of  mining  which 
can  be  permanently,  uniformly,  and  successfully 
pursued,  viz.  by  penetrating  into  the  boivels  of  the  earth. 
Several  other  persons  of  intelligence  and  capi- 
tal are  also  engaged  in  mining  at  this  place,  and 
it  is  probable  that  the  total  amount  of  lead  manu- 
factured at  this  mine  during  the  year  1819,  will  tall 
little  short  of  one  million  of  pounds. 


118 

It  is  not  to  be  inferred,-  however,  that  because 
the  number  of  miners  at  Potosi  has  decreased, 
the  mines  are  exhausted.  On  the  contrary,  there 
is  reason  to  conclude,  as  already  mentioned,  that 
the  principal  bodies  of  ore  have  not  yet  been  dis- 
covered, and  that  it  is  destined  to  become  the 
seat  of  the  most  extensive  and  important  mining 
operations.  The  "Ore  heretofore  raised  at  these 
mines  has  been  chiefly  found  in  the  stratum  of  earth 
which  forms  the  surface  of  that  country,  and  is  bot- 
tomed on  primitive  limestone.  This  stratum  con- 
sists of  a  stiff  red  clay  passing  in  some  places  into 
marl,  and  in  others  partaking  more  of  the  silicious 
character  forming  a  /oam,  and  imbedding  the  ores 
of  lead,  accompanied  by  sulphate  of  barytes,  cal- 
careous spar,  blende,  pyrites,  quartz,  fragments  of 
hornstone,  chalcedony,  flint,  and  other  silicious 
substances.  The  depth  of  this  soil  is  from  10  to  20, 
and  sometimes  30  feet,  and  in  this  the  diggings 
have  been  chiefly  done,  requiring  no  other  ma- 
chinery than  is  used  in  digging  a  common  well ; 
and  the  rock  has  generally  put  a  stop  to  the  pro- 
gress of  the  miner,  although  veins  of  ore  pene- 
trating it  have  often  invited  him  in  the  pursuit. 
But  it  requires  different  tools,  machinery,  and 
works  for  mining  in  rock;  the  process  is  also  more 
ted'ous  and  expensive,  and  is  considered  espe- 
cially so  by  those  who  have  been  accustomed 
from  their  youth  to  find  bodies  of  ore  by  a  few 
days  digging  in  the  earth,  and  who,  if  they  should 
work  a  fortnight  at  one  place  and  not  fall  upon  a 
bed  of  ore,  would  go  away  quite  disheartened. 
The  principal  search  has  therefore  been  made  in 


119 

the  sub-stratum  of  clay,  where  large  bodies  of  ore 
are  sometimes  found  by  a  day's,  and  sometimes 
by  an  hour's  work.  Hence  in  the  vicinity  of  Mine 
a  Burton  the  ground  has  been  pretty  well  explored, 
and  more  search  and  labour  is  required  to  find  it, 
than  in  other  and  more  distant  places,  where  new 
mines  continue  annually  to  be  discovered.  But, 
with  the  exception  of  Austin's  shaft,  who  sunk  80 
feet,  and  the  mines  opened  by  Jones,  the  rock  at 
this  mine  remains  unpenetrated.  Austin  found 
large  quantities  of  ore  filling  crevices  in  the  rock, 
and  the  appearances  were  flattering  when  the  last 
work  was  done.  In  sinking  down,  a  change  in  the 
rock  was  experienced,  passing  from  compact  pri- 
mitive gray  limestone,  by  several  gradations,  into 
a  loose  granulated  limestone,  very  friable,  and 
called  sand  stone  by  the  miners.  This  stone  was 
in  some  instances  completely  disintegrated,  form- 
ing a  calcareous  sand,  and  the  most  compact 
bodies  of  it,  on  a  few  weeks  exposure  at  the  mouth 
of  the  shaft,  fell  into  grains.  These  grains  were 
however  wholly  calcareous,  and  were  readily  solu- 
ble in  the  nitric  and  muriatic  acids.  The  sand 
submitted  to  experiment  was  all  taken  up  com- 
pletely, nor  was  any  sediment  deposited  by  many 
months  standing.  On  going  deeper,  the  rock 
again  graduated  into  a  compact  limestone,  very 
hard,  and  of  a  bluish  gray  colour,  in  which  were 
frequently  found  small  cavities  studded  over  with 
minute  pyramids  of  limpid  quartz.  These  varia- 
tions in  the  geological  structure  of  the  earth  in 
that  place,  are  still  observable  by  the  stones,  spars, 
and  other  minerals  lying  around  the  mouths  of  tho 


120 

mines,  and,  upon  the  whole,  (he  appearances,  are 
such  as  to  justify  a  conclusion  that  the  lower  strata 
of  rocks  at  Potosi  and  the  numerous  mines  in  its 
vicinity  are  of  a  metalliferous  character,  and  such 
as  to  warrant  the  expenditures  incident  to  a  search. 
From  a  statement  lately  drawn  up,  and  certified 
by  the  proprietors  of  warehouses  at  Herculaneum, 
it  appears  that  the  total  quantity  of  pig  and  bar 
lead,  and  shot,  exported  from  that  place,  from 
Jan.  1 ,  1 81 7  to  June  1 ,  1 8 1 8,  a  period  of  1 8  months, 
was  3,194,219  pounds.  Herculaneum  may  be 
considered  the  depot  for  the  lead  of  Mine  Shibbo- 
leth, Richwoods,  Belle  Fontaine,  a  portion  of  the 
lead  of  Mine  a  Burton  and  Potosi,  and  a  few  other 
mines  in  that  neighbourhood.  Perhaps  nearly, 
or  quite  half,  of  the  whole  quantity  of  lead  yearly 
smelted  at  the  Missouri  mines,  is  shipped  from 
this  place.  Here  then  is  an  average  product  of 
2,395,667  lbs.  per  annum,  for  the  years  1817  and 
1818,  from  those  mines  which  send  their  lead  to 
Herculaneum.  Assuming  the  ground  that  these 
mines  produce  only  half  of  what  is  annually  made 
at  the  whole  number  of  mines,  which  I  conclude 
mav  be  a  true  estimate,  we  shall  arrive  at  the  con- 
elusion,  that  the  annual  product  of  the  Missouri 
mines  for  those  years  was  jour  millions,  seven  hundred 
and  ninety-one  thousand,  three  hundred  and  thirty-four 
pounds.  This,  estimated  at  the  present  price  of  4 
cents  per  pound,  gives  us  a  sum  of  one  hundred  and 
ninety -one  thousand,  six  hundred  and  fifty-three  dollars. 
This  is  the  produce  of  one  year ;  and  supposing 
the  mines  to  have  produced  the  same  average 
quantity  during  every  year,  since  they  have  been 


J21 

in  possession  of  the  United  States,  makes  a  sum  ot 
%  .i,()6(5,J48,  which  is  one  fifth  of  the  original  cost 
of  Louisiana,  as  purchased  from  France  during  the 
administration  of  President  Jefferson.  Let  those 
who  have  any  doubts  of  the  value  of  our  mines, 
reflect  upon  this,  and  consider  that  it  is  the  pro- 
duct of  a  year,  when  the  mines  were  in  a  manifest 
state  of  decline,  and  wrought  wholly  by  individu- 
als, with  a  foreign  competition  to  oppose,  and  with- 
out the  benefits  resulting  from  a  systematic  organi- 
zation of  the  mining  interest. 

Nearly  all  the  lead  smelted  at  the  Missouri 
mines,  is  transported  in  carts  and  waggons  from  the 
interior,  to  St.  Genevieve,  and  Herculaneum.  As 
it  must  necessarily  be  deposited  for  storage  at 
those  places,  it  was  expected  authentic  accounts 
of  the  lead  manufactured  in  the  territory  for  ma- 
ny years,  might  be  obtained  on  application.  But 
in  this,  I  experienced  some  degree  of  disappoint- 
ment. At  St.  Genevieve,  although  a  ware-house 
has  been  kept  at  the  landing  for  many  years,  the 
lead  sent  to  town  has  not  all  been  stored  there. 
From  the  earliest  time,  and  before  the  establish- 
ment of  a  ware-house  by  Mr.  Janies,  the  French 
inhabitants  of  St.  Genevieve  had  all  been  more  or 
less  engaged  in  the  storage,  purchase,  and  traffic 
of  lead.  Every  dwelling  house  thus  became  a 
store-house  for  lead,  and  in  these  cases,  no 
regular  accounts  were  kept  of  the  quantities  re- 
ceived or  delivered.  The  same  practice,  has,  in 
some  measure  continued  since,  so  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  obtain,  with  any  precision,  the  amount 
shipped  from  this  place.     At  Herculaneum  a  ware- 

16 


122 

house  has  been  kept  since  the  year  1816,  and  on 
application  to  Mr.  Elias  Bates,  the  proprietor,  he 
was  so  obliging  as  to  allow  me  permission  to  pe- 
ruse his  book  of  receipts,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  extracts.  The  following  details  embrace 
the  receipts  of  lead  at  that  place  for  a  period  of 
two  years  and  eleven  months,  ending  May  18th, 
1819. 

I.  A  series  of  receipts  from  June  16th,  1816,  to  Dec* 
31  st,  of  the  same  year,  being  a  period  of  six  months 
and  fourteen  days. 

Fol.  1.  Aggregate  of  receipts,  52,781  lbs. 

2. 57,097 

3. 55,039 

4. 58,892 

5. 50,639 

6. 63,787 

7. 55,663 

8...* 47,287 

441,185 
Aggregate  of  separate  individu- 
al accounts  during  the  same 
period,  *  ♦ 322,134 

763,319 


■'■ii.n 


y 


123 

II.  A  series  of  receipts  from  3\st  Dec.  1816,  to  3] si 

Dec.  1817. 

Fol.  1.  Aggregate  of  receipts,  12,375  lbs, 

2. 51,521 

3. 49,024 

4. 60,576 

5 •-  54,242 

6. 47,321 

7..... 60,956 

S 51,420 

9. 43,774 

10. 42,694 

II. 47,958 

12. 15,482 

537,343 
Aggregate  of  separate  individu- 
al accounts  during  the  same 
period, 501,903 

1,039,246 


III.  A  series  of  receipts  from  Dec.  31st,  1817,  to  3\sl 

Dec.  1818. 


Fol.  1.  Aggregate  of  receipts,  24,261  lbs. 
2. 45,981 


Amount  carried  forward, 70,242 


124 

Amount  brought  forward, 70,242  lbs. 

Fol.  3.  Aggregate  of  receipts,  31,041 

4. 39,424 

5. 34,711 

6. 44,266 

7. 31,315 

8. 56,442 

9. 33,932 

341,372 
Aggregate  of  separate  individu- 
al accounts  during  the  same 
period, 1 12,203 

453,575 


IV.  A  series  of  receipts  from  Dec.  31^,  1818,  to  May 

lUth,  1819. 


Fol.  1.  Aggregate  of  receipts,  14,764  lbs. 

2. 44,323 

3. 44,628 

103,715 
Aggregate  of  separate  individu- 
al accounts  during  the  same 
period, 26,21 1 

129,926 


125 

Recapitulation. 

1816. 763,319  lbs. 

1817. 1,039,246 

1818.    453,575 

1819. 129,926 


2,386,066 


During  eighteen  months,  of  the  same  period,  viz. 
from  Dec.  31st,  181 6,  to  June  1st,  1818,  there  was 
deposited  with,  and  shipped  by  sundry  other  per- 
sons  in  Herculaneum,  as  ascertained  by  Col.  S. 
Hammond,  and  M.  Austin,  Esq.  517,495  pounds  of 
lead,  and  patent  shot,  manufactured  by  Elias  Bates 
and  Christian  Wilt,  to  the  amount  of  668,350  lbs. 
For  the  remaining  part  of  the  estimated  term,  (two 
years  and  eleven  months,)  it  is  reasonable  to  pre- 
sume, that  a  like  quantity  of  lead  was  exported 
through  private  channels  at  Herculaneum,  and  a 
like  quantity  of  shot  manufactured    by   Messrs. 
Bates   and   Wilt.       This   will   make    the    quan- 
tity of  pig  and  bar  lead  shipped  by  individuals, 
1,034,990  pounds,  and  the  quantity  of  patent  shot 
manufactured,  1,356,700  pounds;  which  two  sums 
added  to  the  receipts  of  Mr.  Bates'  ware-house,  as 
detailed  above,  gives  us  an  aggregate  amount  of  four 
millions,  seven  hundred  and  fifty-seven  thousand,  nine 
hundred  and  ninety  pounds,  for  the  period  of  two 
years  and  eleven  months.     St.  Genevieve,  as  has 
already  been  mentioned,  is  probably  the   store 


126 


house  for  one  half  of  the  mines,  and  may  therefore 
be  estimated  to  have  received  and  exported  the 
same  quantity  of  pig  and  bar  lead  during  the  same 
period,  making  a  total  sum  of  nine  millions,  Jive  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  thousand,  Jive  hundred  and  twelve  pounds, 
which  gives  an  average  product  of  rising  of  three 
millions  of  pounds  of  lead  per  annum. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  in  what  propor- 
tion the  different  mines  have  contributed  to  this 
amount.  The  above  details  show  us  their  collec- 
tive importance,  but  we  should  then  be  enabled 
to  estimate  their  individual  and  comparative  value, 
With  this  view,  I  have  compiled,  from  the  best  in- 
formation, the  following 

ESTIMATE. 
Mines. 
1.  Mine  a  Burton, 

27.  Mine  Shibboleth, 
43.  Mine  La  Motte, 
39.  Richwoods 

41.  Bryan's  Mines,    > 

42.  Dogget's  Mines, ) 
6.  Perry's  Diggings, 

28.  Elliot's  Mines, 
26.  Old  Mines, 

29.  Belle  Fountaine 
17.  Mine  Astraddle,  > 

33.  Mine  Liberty,     # 

34.  Renault's  Mines,\, 
36.  Mine  Silvers, 

35.  Miller's  Mines, 
Am't  carried  forward. 


lbs.  of  lead. 

no.  of  hands, 

1,500,000 

160 

2,700,000 

240 

2,400,000 

210 

1,300,000 

140 

910,100 

80 

600,000 

60 

45,000 


S 


450,000 


20 


40 


10,905,000 


950 


127 


Mines. 
Aih't  brought  forward, 
30.  Cannon's  Diggings, 
32.  Becquet's  Diggings, 

10.  Little  Mines, 

11.  Rocky  Diggings, 
5.  Citadel  Diggings, 

25.  Lambert's  Mine, 
9.  Austin's  Mines, 
10.  Jones'  Mines, 

12.  Gravelly  Diggings, 
19.  Scott's  Mine, 

3.  Mine  a  Martin, 
2.  Mine  a  Robino, 


lbs.  of  lead.     no.  of  hands, 
10,905,000 


75.000 


1,160,000 


50,000 


950 


30 


130 


20 


11,180,000 

4.  New  Diggings,         not  worked. 

38.  Pratt's  Mine, 

do 

40.  Mine  a  Joe, 

do 

44.  Gray's  Mine, 

do 

8.  Rosebury's  Mine, 

do 

23.  Moreau's  Diggings, 

do 

22.  Henry's  Mine, 

do 

7.  Hawkins'  Mine, 

do 

15.  Bibb's  Mine, 

do 

24.  Tapley's  Diggings, 

do 

37.  Fourche  a  Courtois, 

do 

21.  Micheaux's  Diggings, 

do 

18.  Masson's  Diggings, 

do 

16.  Tebault's  Diggings, 

do 

1130 


126 

Mines. 

13.  Brushy-run  Digging,  not  worked- 

14.  Stricklin's  Diggings,  do 
10.  J.  Scott's  Diggings,  do 
45.  M'Kane's  Mine,  do 

In  this  estimate  are  included  all  persons  con- 
cerned in  the  operations  of  mining,  and  who  draw 
their  support  from  it,  wood-cutters,  teamsters,  and 
blacksmiths,  as  well  as  those  engaged  in  digging 
and  smelting  lead  ore,  &c.  The  estimate  is  sup- 
posed to  embrace  a  period  of  three  years,  ending 
1st  June  1819,  and  making  an  average  product  of 
3,726,666  lbs.  per  annum,  which  is  so  near  the  re- 
sult arrived  at  in  the  preceding  details,  as  to  in- 
duce a  conclusion  that  it  is  essentially  correct,  and 
that  the  mines  of  Missouri,  taken  collectively, 
yield  this  amount  of  pig  lead  annually. 

The  United  States  acquired  possession  of  the 
mines,  in  the  year  1803,  fifteen  years  ago  last  De- 
cember, and  assuming  the  fact,  that  they  have  an- 
nually produced  this  quantity,  there  has  been 
smelted  under  the  American  Government,  fifty-five 
millions  of  pounds  of  lead. 

On  the  view  which  has  now  been  taken  of  the 
Missouri  mines,  it  may  be  proper  here  to  re- 
mark,— 

1 .  That  the  ores  of  these  mines  are  of  the  rich- 
est and  purest  kind,  and  that  they  exist  in  such 
bodies,  as  not  only  to  supply  all  lead  for  domestic 
consumption,  but  also,  if  the  purposes  of  trade 
require  it,  are  capable  of  supplying  large  quanti- 
ties for  exportation. 


129 

2.  That  although  at  different  periods,  the 
amount  of  lead  manufactured  has  been  considera- 
ble, yet,  this  produce  has  been  subject  to  perpetu- 
al variation,  and,  upon  the  whole,  it  has  fallen  in 
the  aggregate,  far  short  of  the  amount  the  mines 
are  capable  of  producing.  To  make  these  mines 
produce  the  greatest  possible  quantity  of  lead  of 
which  they  are  capable,  with  the  least  possible 
expense,  is  a  consideration  of  the  first  political 
consequence,  to  which  end  it  is  desirable, — 1 .  That 
the  reserved  mines  be  disposed  of  to  individuals, 
2.  Or,  that  the  term  for  which  leases  are  granted, 
be  extended  from  three  to  fifteen  years,  which 
will  induce  capitalists  to  embark  in  mining,  who 
are  now  deterred  by  the  illiberality  of  governmental 
terms.  3.  That  there  be  laid  a  governmental  duty 
of  two  and  a  half  cents  per  pound  on  all  imported 
pig  and  bar  lead,  which  will  exclude  foreign  lead 
from  our  markets,  and  afford  a  desired  relief  to 
the  domestic  manufacturer.  The  present  duty  is 
one  cent  per  pound.  But  this  does  not  prevent  a 
foreign  competition,  and  the  smelters  call  for,  and 
appear  to  be  entitled  to  further  protection. 

3.  That  although  the  processes  of  mining  now 
pursued,  are  superior  to  what  they  were  under  the 
Spanish  Government,  yet  there  is  a  very  manifest 
want  of  skill,  system,  and  economy  in  the  raising 
of  ores,  and  the  smelting  of  lead.  The  furnaces 
in  use,  are  liable  to  several  objections.  They  are 
defective  in  the  plan,  they  are  constructed  of  im- 
proper materials,  and  the  workmanship  is  of  the 
rudest  kind.  Hence,  not  near  the  quantity  of  me- 
tallic lead  is  extracted  from  the  ore  which  it  ijs 

17 


130 

capable,  without  an  increase  of  expense,  of  yield- 
ing.    There  is  a  great  waste  created  by  smelting 
ore  in  the  common  log  furnace,  in  which  a  con- 
siderable part   of  the  lead  is  volatilized,  forming 
the  sublimated  matter,  which  adheres  in  such  bodies 
to  the  sides  of  the  log  furnaces,  and  is  thrown  by 
as  useless.     This  can  be  prevented  by  an  improve- 
ment in  its  construction,  so  as  to  prevent  too  fierce 
an  introduction  of  heat  into  the  ore  before  it  is  com- 
pletely desulphurated ;  or,  the  sublimed  leadthus  crea- 
ted, may  be  reduced  into  metallic  lead,  by  proper 
treatment  with  charcoal,  as  mentioned  in  a  former 
part  of  this  work,  (see  page  79.)  No  such  waste  is 
said  to  occur  in  the  common  English  hearth  furnace 
for  smelting  lead  ore,  (for  a  plate  and  description  of 
which,  see  the  Emporium  of  Arts  and  Sciences, 
new  series,  by  Thomas  Cooper,  Esq.)     To  pursue 
mining  with  profit,  it  is  necessary  to  pursue  it  with 
economy ;  and  true  economy  is,  to  build  the  best 
of  furnaces,  with  the  best  of  materials.     At  pre- 
sent the  furnaces  are  constructed  of  common  lime- 
stone, which  soon  burns   into  quicklime,  and  the 
work   requires    rebuilding    from   the   foundation. 
Not  only  so,  the  frequency  with  which  they  require 
to  be  renewed,  begets  a  carelessness  in  those  who 
build  them,  and  the  work  is  accordingly  put  up  in 
the  most  ordinary  and    unworkmanlike   manner. 
Instead  of  limestone,  the  furnaces  ought  to  be  con- 
structed of  good  refractory  sand-stone,  or  apyrous 
clay,  in  the  form  of  bricks,  which  will  resist  the 
action  of  heat  for  a  great  length  of  time.     Both 
these  substances  are  the  production  of  that  coun- 
try, specimens  of  which  are  now  in  my  possession. 


131 

4k  From  the  information  afforded,  it  has  been 
seen,  that  the  mines  are  situated  in  a  country 
which  affords  a  considerable  proportion  of  the 
richest  farming  lands,  producing  corn,  rye,  wheat, 
tobacco,  hemp,  flax,  oats,  &c.  in  the  greatest  abun- 
dance, and  that  no  country  is  better  adapted 
for  raising  cattle,  horses,  hogs  and  sheep.  The 
country  is  well  watered,  and  with  the  purest  of 
water,  the  climate  is  mild  and  pleasant,  the  air 
dry  and  serene,  and  is  healthy  in  an  unusual  de- 
gree. Every  facility  is  also  afforded  by  its  streams, 
for  erecting  works  for  the  manufacture  of  white 
and  red  lead,  massicot,  litharge,  shot,  sheet  lead, 
mineral  yellow,  and  the  other  manufactures  de- 
pendent upon  lead,  as  well  as  wool,  flax,  and 
hemp.  The  country  also  abounds  with  various 
useful  minerals  beside  lead,  which  are  calculated 
to  increase  its  wealth  and  importance.  It  is  par- 
ticularly abundant  in  iron,  zinc,  manganese,  sulphur, 
salt,  coal,  chalk,  ochre,  and  flint. 

5.  That  a  systematic  organization  of  the  mining 
interest,  would  have  a  tendency  to  promote  the 
public  welfare.  To  this  end  there  should  be  ap- 
pointed an  officer  for  the  inspection  and  superin- 
tendence of  mines.  He  should  reside  in  the  mine 
country,  and  report  annually  to  the  proper  govern- 
mental department  on  the  state  of  the  mines,  im- 
provements, &c.  His  duty  should  consist  in  part 
of  the  following  items,  viz. 

1.  To  lease  out  public  mines,   and  receive  and 
account  for  rents. 

2.  To  prevent  the  waste  and  destruction  of  wood 
on  the  public  lands. 


132 

3.  To  see  that  no  mines  were  wrought  without  au- 
thority. 

4.  To  keep  the  government  informed,  periodically, 
of  the  quantity  of  lead  made  at  the  different 
mines,  of  new  discoveries  of  lead,  zinc,  iron,  or 
any  other  minerals  whatever,  the  qualities  of 
such  ores  or  minerals  as  ascertained  by  analy- 
sis, with  the  nature  of  the  soil,  value  of  it,  &c. 

Ji.     To  explore  the  mineralogy  of  that  country,  in 
order  fully  to  develope  its  mineral  character  and 
importance.  *  There  should   be  a  particular  at- 
tention  directed  towards  the  beds  of  copper, 
silver,  tin,  and  antimony,  which  are  reported  to 
exist  in  the  western  country.     Connected  with 
these  duties,  should  be  the  collection  ofminera- 
logical  specimens  for  a  national  cabinet  of  natu- 
ral history  at  Washington. 
The  superintendent  of  mines  should  be  a  chymist, 
and  a  mineralogist,  and  such  a  salary  attached  to 
the   office  as   to  induce   a   man  of    respectable 
talents  and  scientific  acquirements  to  accept  the 
appointment.       To   allow   the   manufacturers   of 
lead  every  advantage  consistent  with  the  public 
interest ;  the  rent  charged  on  mines,  should  not 
exceed  two  and  a  half  per  cent,  on  the  quantity 
manufactured,  which  is  equivalent  to  the  proposed 
governmental   duty  on  imported   lead,  whereby 
the  revenue   would  not  only  be  kept  up,  but  it 
might  be  considerably  enhanced.     The  foregoing 
details   exhibit  an  annual  produce  of  3,726,666 
pounds  of  lead,  which  it  is  presumable,  may  be 
half  the  quantity  the  mines  are   capable  of  pro- 
ducing, with  proper  management.    But  estimating 


133 

the  lead  at  four  cents  per  pound,  and  taking  that 
as  the  average  quantity,  the  annual  rents  at  two 
and  a  half  per  cent,  will  create  a  revenue  of  thirty- 
two  thousand,  four  hundred  and  ninety  dollars. 

1  shall  conclude  this  view  with  the  following 
section  on  the  uses  of  lead. 


SECTION  VL 


On  the  Uses  of  Lead. 

Lead  is  employed  either  in  a  metallic  state,  or 
as  an  oxyd,  alloyed  with  other  metals,  or  combined 
with  various  acids,  in  the  following  arts  and  manu- 
factures, viz. — 

1st.  In  the  manufacture  of  White  Lead. 

2d. of  Red  Lead. 

3d. of  Litharge. 

4th. of  Massicot. 

5th. of  Naples  Yellow. 

6th. of  Chromate  of  Lead. 

7th. of  Patent  Mineral  Yellow. 

8th. of  Shot  and  Bullets. 

9th. of  Pewter. 

10th. of  Sheet  Lead. 

1 1  th. of  Solders. 

12th. of  Printer's  Types. 

13th.  •  • of  Pot-metal. 

14th of  Potter's  Glazing. 

15th. of  Enamels. 

16th. of  Flint  Glass. 

17th. of  Artificial  Gems. 

18th. of  Sugar  of  Lead. 

19th. of  Metallic  Buttons. 

20th. •••••• of  Sheet-lead  Boxes. 

21st. of  Weights  and  Measure*, 

22d. of  Toys,  Castings,  &c, 


135 

l  shall  here  add  a  summary  account  of  each  of 
these  manufactures,  in  the  order  in  which  they 
have  been  enumerated  ;  which  is  intended  to  show 
in  one  condensed  view  the  utility  of  this  metal  in 
its  application  to  the  various  economical  purposes 
of  life;  and  it  may  at  the  same  time  serve  as  a 
book  of  reference  to  such  as  have  not  the  leisure, 
or  the  inclination,  to  peruse  the  more  voluminous 
works  on  the  subject. 

Man.  1.  White  Lead,  or  Cerusse.  This  pigment 
is  prepared  by  casting  the  lead  into  sheets,  rolling 
it  up  in  a  spiral  form,  and  setting  it  to  corrode  in 
earthen  pots  partly  filled  with  vinegar.  A  gentle 
heat  is  brought  on  by  bedding  the  pots  in  horse- 
litter,  or  by  heating  the  room  in  which  they  are 
set  to  such  a  degree  as  to  cause  the  vinegar  to  rise 
up  in  vapour.  This  vapour  corrodes  and  unites 
with  the  lead,  forming  a  grayish  white  crusty  pow- 
der, which  is  a  carbonate  of  lead.  This  is  after- 
wards scraped  off,  ground  very  fine  between  two 
millstones,  then  washed  in  water,  dried,  and  sifted. 
It  is  afterwards  ground  in  oil,  and  discharged  from 
the  millstones  into  small  kegs,  of  the  colour  and 
consistence  we  usually  see  it  in  the  shops.  There 
is  another  wayof  preparing  white  lead,  by  dissolv- 
ing litharge  in  the  nitric  or  acetic  acids,  and  add- 
ing carbonate  of  potash  or  soda,  which  precipitates 
the  lead  united  with  the  carbonic  acid  of  the  alkali 
in  the  form  of  white  lead.  This  makes  a  whiter 
paint  than  the  other  process,  but  is  not  thought  to 
stand  the  weather,  or  retain  its  colour  so  well. 

Man.  2.  Red  Lead,  or  Minium.     This  is  an  oxyd 
of  lead,  prepared  by  calcination  in  a  moderate 


136 

heat,  in  a  reverberatoiy  furnace  for  many  hours* 
The  furnace  employed  is  built  of  brick,  has  a  low 
flat  arch  like  a  baker's  oven,  and  admits  the  air  to 
play  freely  through  it.  Melted  lead  when  thus 
exposed  to  the  joint  influence  of  air  and  heat,  be- 
comes instantly  covered  with  a  dusty,  ash-like 
pellicle,  which  being  removed,  another  is  imme- 
diately formed,  and  the  process  thus  continued 
until  the  whole  is  calcined  into  a  yellowish  green 
powder.  This  powder  is  then  ground  in  a  mill, 
and  washed,  when  it  assumes  an  uniform  deep 
yellow  colour.  This,  when  dry,  is  again  put  into 
the  furnace,  and  heated  with  frequent  stirring, 
until  it  turns  to  a  qualified  red,  which,  when  cold, 
is  taken  out  and  sifted,  and  is  the  red  lead  of  com- 
merce. 

Man.  3.  Litharge.  Nearly  all  the  litharge  of 
commerce  is  produced  from  the  refining  or  cupel- 
lation  of  lead,  in  order  to  extract  the  silver  from  it. 
The  lead  is  exposed  in  a  shallow  broad  basin 
made  of  clay,  bone  ashes,  &c.  called  a  cupell,  to 
the  action  of  a  fierce  heat  in  a  blast  furnace,  which 
is  so  contrived  that  the  air  forced  out  of  the  bel- 
lows blows  ofFthe  oxyd  from  the  surface  of  lead 
as  soon  as  formed,  and  thus  the  lead  is  all  convert- 
ed into  litharge ;  but  the  silver  it  contains  is  not 
oxydable  by  exposure  to  heat,  and  therefore  re- 
mains in  a  metallic  state  at  the  bottom  of  the 
cupell.  Litharge  is  easily  reduced  into  metallic 
lead  again  by  heating  it  in  contact  with  charcoal, 
and  much  of  what  is  produced  at  the  refineries  is 
thus  converted  into  lead  again. 


137 

Man.  4.  Massicot.  This  is  white  lead  exposed 
to  such  a  degree  of  beat  in  a  crucible  as  is  neces^ 
sary  to  convert  it  to  the  desired  colour.  This 
depends  wholly  upon  practice,  and  the  whole  skill 
of  the  art  consists  in  stopping  the  heat  at  a  parti- 
cular stage  of  the  process  when  the  colour  is  most 
beautiful. 

Man.  5.  Naples  Yellow.  To  prepare  this  colour, 
lett  he  following  receipt  be  observed.  Take  12  oz. 
of  white  lead,  2  oz.  of  antimony,  half  an  ounce  of 
calcined  Roman  alum,  and  1  oz.  of  sal.  ammoniac. 
Pulverize  and  mix  them  well  together,  put  them 
into  a  clean  earthen  crucible  with  a  cover,  and 
expose  it  to  a  moderate  heat  for  3  hours.  The 
result  is  a  yellow  vitrified  mass,  which,  when  pul- 
verized, is  fit  for  use. 

Man.  6.  Chromatc  of  Lead,  or  Chromic  Yellow, 
This  beautiful  pigment  is  prepared  in  the  United 
States  from  a  mineral  substance  called  chromatc  of 
iron,  and  a  solution  of  lead  in  the  nitric  or  acetic 
acids.  The  processes  appear  to  be  somewhat 
complicated,  and  from  the  difficulties  frequently 
met  with  in  the  preparation,  it  is  probable  a  more 
accurate  knowledge  of  chymical  processes  is  re- 
quired than  generally  falls  to  the  share  of  a  mere 
manufacturer. 

Man.  7.  Patent  Mineral  Yellow.  "  Take  66  lbs, 
of  litharge  and  one  bushel  of  salt.  Dissolve  the 
salt  in  a  pan,  strain  the  liquor  to  detect  any  im- 
purities, then  pour  it  back  into  the  pan,  and  add 
the  litharge,  at  the  same  instant  raising  your  fire, 
which  is  to  be  kept  up  for  three  hours,  until  the 
mixture  becomes  perfectly  white.    Then  wash  out, 

18 


138 

the  alkali  thai  remains  in  the  sediment  by  repeat- 
ed waters,  adding  it  to  the  liquor  poured  off!  Take 
the  sediment,  which  is  a  muriate  of  lead,  dry  it  on 
chalk  stones  ;  when  dry,  put  it  into  a  crucible  half 
filled,  and  melt  it  in  an  air  furnace." — Dr.  Hunter. 

The  crucible  should  be  covered,  for  any  carbon- 
aceous matter  falling  in  would  reduce  the  muriate 
into  metallic  lead.  It  must  be  left  in  the  furnace 
till  cold,  to  preserve  its  crystallized  form.  This  is 
the  valuable,  scarce,  and  high-priced  substance 
used  in  the  painting  of  carriage  bodies,  chairs,  &c. 

Man.  8  Shot.  A  considerable  proportion  of  the 
lead  made  in  this  (Missouri)  Territory  is  manu- 
factured into  shot.  There  are  3  shot  towers  in 
the  vicinity  of  Herculaneum,  where  shot  is  made 
by  letting  it  fall  down  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi. 
The  banks  at  this  place  consist  of  limestone, 
which  forms  a  perpendicular  bluff  of  about  100 
feet  immediately  at  the  water's  edge,  both  above 
and  below  the  town.  On  this  bluffa  small  wooden 
tower  is  erected,  with  a  furnace  and  kettles  for 
preparing,  smelting,  and  casting  the  lead,  and  hav- 
ing a  projection  in  front,  from  which  the  lead  is 
dropped  into  a  receptacle  with  water  below,  where 
there  is  another  building  and  apparatus  for  glazing 
and  polishing.  The  lead,  previous  to  being  drop- 
ped, is  prepared  by  mixing  with  it  a  small  quantity 
of  arsenic,  which  renders  it  more  fluid  in  casting, 
and  increases  its  hardness  when  cold.  It  is  melted 
in  an  iron  pot  in  the  upper  part  of  the  tower,  and 
poured  into  a  copper  seive,  made  by  perforating 
a  copper  pan  full  of  holes,  of  the  size  of  the  shot, 
through  which  the  globules  of  fluid  lead  drop  into 


139 

Vtie  cistern  below.  By  the  time  they  reach  the 
water  they  have  become  sufficiently  cool  to  pre-* 
serve  their  globular  shapes.  Shot  of  the  largest 
size  requircto  be  dropped  from  the  greatest  height, 
say  140  feet,  while  the  small  sizes  are  only  suffered 
to  fall  about  90  feet.  One  man  will  smelt  and 
cast,  after  the  lead  is  prepared  by  alloying  it  with 
arsenic,  from  4  to  5,000  lbs.  per  day.  To  polish 
these  will  occupy  him  9  days.  The  polishing  is 
done  by  putting  a  quantity  of  shot  into  a  hollow 
cylindrical  wooden  vessel  or  barrel,  which  is  fixed 
on  a  shaft  and  turned  by  a  crank.  The  action  of 
the  shot  against  each  other,  converts  them  into 
perfect  spheres,  and  a  little  plumbago  which  is 
added  gives  them  a  gloss,  in  which  state  they  are 
ready  for  market. 

An  improvement  has  lately  been  made  here  by 
Mr.  Elias  Bates,  which  facilitates  the  casting  of 
shot,  and  supersedes  the  necessity  of  using  a  seive. 
He  has  a  ladle  of  cast  iron,  in  the  shape  of  a  pa- 
rallelogram, but  smaller  at  the  bottom  than  the 
top.  The  two  longest,  being  opposite  sides  of  this 
ladle,  are  perforated  with  holes  near,  and  at  an 
equal  distance  from,  the  top,  so  that  by  canting 
the  ladle  a  little  either  way,  the  shot  drop  through, 
and  as  the  ladle  is  smallest  at  the  bottom,  are  not 
at  all  impeded  in  their  way  to  the  cistern  below. 
The  quantity  of  shot  made  here  for  18  months, 
ending  1st  June,  1817,  was  668,350  pounds.  The 
present  price  of  shot  is  $7.50  per  cwt.  The  busi- 
ness, I  am  told,  has  been  very  profitable. 

Man.  9.  Pewter.     This  is  an  alloy  of  tin,  with 
lead,  zinc,  or  antimony.    There  are  three  kinds  in 


140 

common  use,  viz.  plate,  trifle,  and  ley.  The  best 
sort  of  pewter  is  said  to  consist  of  a  mixture  of  100 
parts  of  tin  to  17  of  regulusof  antimony.  This  is 
the  old  English  composition,  but  of  late  years  the 
antimony  has  given  place  to  lead,  which  forms  an 
alloy  much  inferior  in  colour,  hardness,  and  bril- 
liancy. Our  American  pewter  is  nothing  more 
than  about  equal  proportions  of  lead  and  tin.  The 
French  add  a  little  copper  in  their  pewter.  Zinc, 
when  added  in  any  considerable  quantity,increases 
its  hardness  and  lustre,  without  communicating 
any  dangerous  properties,  as  copper  is  supposed 
to  do. 

Man.  10.  Sheet  Lead.  In  the  manufacture  of 
this  article,  the  lead  is  poured  in  a  fluid  state  on  a 
-tone  or  earthen  table,  around  which  is  a  small 
ledge  to  keep  in  the  lead,  and  of  the  height  of  the 
intended  thickness  of  the  sheet.  The  redundant 
lead  is  then  swept  off  by  a  straight-edge,  and  while 
it  is  yet  moderately  warm,  the  sheet  is  passed  be- 
tween iron  rollers,  which  reduces  it  to  an  uniform 
thickness,  and  gives  it  a  smooth  and  even  surface. 
Sheet  lead  is  largely  employed  in  ship  building, 
in  securing  the  decks  of  vessels : — also  in  covering 
the  roofs  of  houses,  in  lining  cisterns,  bathing  tubs, 
making  house  gutters,  and  pipes  for  conveying 
water  under  ground,  and  for  sundry  other  econo- 
mical purposes. 

Man.  11.  Solders.  There  are  of  various  kinds* 
and  are  made  by  melting  together  different  pro- 
portions of  lead,  tin,  bismuth,  &c.  That  kind  em- 
ployed by  tinmen,  under  the  name  of  soft  solder, 
consists  of  two  parts  of  lead  to  one  of  tin. 


141 

Man.  12.  Printers'  Types.  The  composition  of 
the  common  type  metal  of  the  letter  founders  is 
stated  to  be  4  parts  of  lead  to  1  of  antimony, 
though  some  are  accustomed  to  add  a  little  copper 
or  brass.  Bismuth  is  said  to  improve  the  compo- 
sition, for  this  metal  possesses  the  remarkable  pro- 
perty of  expanding  a  little  on  cooling,  so  that  let- 
ters are  more  full  and  perfect,  and  the  impression 
from  such  type  is  more  delicately  accurate,  than 
when  lead  and  antimony  alone  are  employed. 
Type  in  which  bismuth  forms  any  considerable 
part  are,  however,  of  so  fusible  a  nature  as  to 
melt  in  a  candle. 

Man.  13.  Pot-metal.  This  consists  of  lead  al- 
loyed with  copper,  in  various  proportions.  About 
one  fifth  part  of  copper  in  generally  employed. 
The  recent  invention  and  introduction  into  general 
use,  of  Britannia  and  other  wares,  has  now  almost 
superseded  the  use  of  pot-metal 

Man.  14.  Potter's  Glazing.     The  common  lead 
ore  (galena)   is  used  for  glazing  coarse  pottery, 
without  any  other  preparation  than  pounding  and 
mixing  with  a  little  argillaceous  earth,  to  enable  it 
to  form  a  better  body  on  the  ware.     Hence  its 
ancient  name  of  potter's  ore.     Red  lead  is  used  for 
the  same  purpose,  and  all  our  home-made  coarse 
brown  pottery  is  glazed  with  red  lead,  or  litharge, 
aud  a  very  vitrifiable  clay  impregnated  with  silex 
and  oxyd  of  iron.     Red  lead  also  enters  into  the 
composition  of  some  of  the  finest  and  richest  kinds 
of  glazing.     Of  this  kind  was  the  glazing,  or  ena- 
mel, U9ed  upon  the  once  admired  Delfware. 


142 

Mart.  15.   Enamels.      Enamels   are   either  laid 
upon  earthy  or  metallic  substances.     They  differ 
little  except  in  the  degree  of  fineness,  and  nicety 
with  which  they  are  prepared.     The  fine  white 
opaque  enamel,  such  as  is  laid  upon  watch  faces, 
metallic  snuff  boxes,  and  other  fine  works,  is  com- 
posed of  silicious  sand,  oxyd  of  lead,  oxyd  of  tin, 
and  a  minute  portion  of  oxyd  of  manganese.  When 
it  is  intended  to  be  coloured,  other  metallic  oxydes 
in  very  minute  doses  are  employed,  as  cobalt  for 
a  blue,  copper  for  &  green,  &c.     These  ingredients 
are  prepared  with  great  attention,   and  melted  in 
an  air  furnace  in  luted  crucibles.    The  mass  when 
cold  is  pulverized  and   triturated  very  fine,  then 
mixed  with  vegetable  oil,  and  laid  on  with  a  brush 
according  to  the  rules  of  painting,  and  afterwards 
exposed  in  a  muffle  to  such  a  degree  of  heat  as 
will  just  melt  the  enamel.     The  management  of 
this  part  is  attended  with  great  difficulty,  and  upon 
the  whole,  it  is  an  art  requiring  the  exercise  of 
great  skill,  and  unwearied  patience.     The  surface 
of  the  enamel  is  afterwards  ground  and  polished 
in  the  manner  of  the  lapidary.     In  this  way  gold, 
silver,  copper,  and   other  metals  are  enamelled. 
The  enamel  laid  upon  the  finer  kinds  of  earthen- 
ware is  also  a  work  of  delicacy.     Having  been 
formerly  engaged  in  experimenting  on  enamels,  at 
the  instance  of  a  friend,  a  potter,  who  experienced 
much  difficulty  in  this  branch  of  his  art,  I  shall 
here  give  the  result  of  my  experiments,  and  who- 
ever follows   them  faithfully  will  not  be  disap- 
pointed. 


143 

A  Receipt  and  Process  for  making  Potters'  Enamel. 

I.  Melt  ten  pounds  of  lead  with  two  pounds  and 
a  half  of  block  tin,  in  an  open  vessel,  so  that  the 
surface  of  the  metal  may  be  in  contact  with  the 
atmospheric  air.  A  proper  apparatus  for  this 
purpose  is  a  shallow  cast  iron  pan  or  basin,  set  in 
brick-work,  with  a  small  flue  for  the  fire  beneath. 
As  soon  as  the  metal  melts,  its  surface  will  be 
covered  by  a  thin  pellicle  or  scum,  which  is  the 
oxyd  of  tin  and  lead,  and  must  be  skimmed  off  as 
fast  as  it  is  formed,  until  the  whole  is  completely 
oxydated.  A  bright  surface  should  be  always  ex- 
posed to  the  air  by  continual  stirring  and  skim- 
mings, otherwise  the  calcination  will  proceed  slow- 
ly, or  if  neglected  too  long,  entirely  cease,  as  the 
oxyd  formed  on  the  top  will  protect  the  metal  from 
the  air,  and  prevent  it  from  imbibing  new  portions 
of  oxygen.  When  the  whole  is  converted  into  a 
powder,  let  all  the  skimmings  be  again  put  into 
the  same  vessel,  raise  the  heat  so  as  to  bring  it  to 
a  low  red,  and  continue  to  stir  it  for  30  minutes, 
until  every  metallic  particle  has  disappeared,  and 
the  whole  is  converted  into  an  uniform  gray  pow- 
der. 

II.  There  is  always  in  an  oxyd  of  this  kind, 
however  faithfully  it  has  been  calcined,  some  me- 
tallic particles ;  but  so  minute,  or  so  completely 
enveloped  by  the  oxyd,  that  they  are  not  percep- 
tible to  the  naked  eye.  In  order  to  get  rid  of 
these  let  the  following  process  be  pursued.  Put 
a  quantity  of  the  oxyd  into  a  vessel  containing 
water,  and  stir  it  briskly  until  it  is  completely 
suspended  therein.  Now.  as  the  powder,  however 


144 

fine,  is  absolutely  insoluble  in  water,  the  whole 
will  be  again  precipitated  by  suffering  it  to  stand 
undisturbed  a  few  seconds.  The  metallic  parti- 
cles will  sink  first,  and  the  others  successively  in 
the  inverse  degree  of  their  fineness,  the  most 
subtile  calx  always  falling  last.  By  seizing  the 
moment,  therefore,  when  the  grosser  particles  have 
subsided,  and  pouring  off  the  water  with  the  finer 
powder  suspended  in  it,  the  most  delicate  particles 
only  will  be  obtained.  The  remainder  must  be 
again  put  into  the  calcining  vessel,  and  treated  as 
before.  The  water  used  must  be  pure,  and  the 
washing  and  precipitating  vessels  should  be  of 
glass,  so  that  the  operation  may  be  seen. 

III.  Of  the  compound  oxyd  of  lead  and  tin,  thus 
obtained,  take  12  pounds;  of  fine  white  silicious 
sand,  (such  as  the  glass  makers  use,  and  prepared 
in  the  same  way,)  take  10  pounds  ;  and  of  common 
salt,  dried  and  pounded,  4  pounds.  Mix  them  in- 
timately together,  place  the  mixture  in  a  clean 
earthen  crucible,  and  melt  it  in  any  heat  or  situa- 
tion capable  of  producing  a  perfect  fusion,  and  so 
contrived,  that  no  impurities  may  fall  in  during  the 
operation.  A  small  air,  or  chemical  blast  furnace 
will  give  the  desired  heat,  and  a  cover  luted  to  the 
crucible  will  secure  the  mixture  from  any  adven- 
titious coloration.  Where  a  glass-house  is  at  hand,, 
that  may  be  resorted  to. 

IV.  While  the  mixture  is  still  fluid,  it  may,  if 
wished,  be  taken  out  with  a  pair  of  crucible  tongs, 
and  poured  into  moulds ;  or  if  it  is  not  manufac- 
tured for  sale,  that  nicety  may  be  dispensed  with, 
and  the  fluid  mass  thrown  into  a  vessel  containing' 


145 

water.  This  will  split  it  into  small  fragments,  and 
render  it  so  friable,  that  it  can  afterwards  be  more 
easily  brought  to  the  state  of  a  powder.  This 
must  be  done  by  the  mortar  and  pestle,  and  after- 
wards by  trituration  in  a  wedgewood  mortar, 
the  powder  then  passed  through  a  fine  linen  sieve, 
or  the  grosser  particles  separated  by  washing. 

V.  The  fine,  dry,  impalpable,  uniform  gray 
powder  thus  obtained,  is  now  ready  to  be  applied 
to  the  surface  of  the  ware  intended  to  be  glazed, 
and  may  even  be  applied  to  metals,  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  enameller.  To  apply  it  to  earthen-ware, 
the  usual  process  of  the  potter  may  be  pursued, 
either  by  mixing  it  with  a  solution  of  the  gelatin- 
ous and  farinaceous  parts  of  grain  in  water,  (as 
rye-flour,)  and  dipping'the  vessel  in  it,  or  by  dip- 
ping the  vessel  first  in  the  simple  solution,  and 
afterwards  sifting  on  the  powder.  Both  methods 
are  practised,  and  either  will  succeed  if  well  per- 
formed. The  ware  must  be  previously  baked,  so 
that  it  will  greedily  imbibe  water.  It  is  now  to  be 
carried  to  the  furnace,  enclosed  in  a  muffle,  and 
submitted  to  a  sufficient  degree  of  heat  to  melt  the 
glazing.  Nothing  more  is  required.  The  object 
of  the  muffle  is  to  prevent  fine  particles  of  ashes 
carried  over  by  the  flame,  and  other  accidental 
impurities,  from  falling  on  the  ware,  which  would 
produce  a  slight  degree  of  colouration,  and  impair 
that  delicacy  of  hue  and  texture  for  which  this 
kind  of  ware  is  chiefly  admired. 

By  carefully  following  these  directions,  a  very 
white,  smooth,  opaque  glazing  will  be  given  to  any 
earthen  vessel,  even  such  as  is  made  from  a  brown 

19 


146 

or  dark  coloured  clay,  for  the  opacity  of  the  glazing 
is  sufficient  to  hide  it.  It  is  desirable  that  the 
lead  and  tin  employed  in  this  work  should  be  of 
the  purest  kind  which  is  afforded  in  commerce- 
Much  pains  should  also  be  bestowed  in  selecting 
and  preparing  the  sand,  which  must  be  purely 
silicious,  of  a  fine  even  quartzose  grain,  and  pos- 
sessing that  all  important  property,  easy  fusibility. 
The  washing  and  sifting  should  be  repeated,  and 
the  sieve  last  made  use  of,  shouid  be  of  fine  bolting 
cloth,  or  fine  brass  wire.  The  opacity  is  produced 
by  the  oxyd  of  tin,  which  possesses,  even  in  small 
proportion,  the  property  of  rendering  vitrescent 
mixtures  white  and  opaque.  The  oxyd  of  lead,  and 
the  soda  of  the  common  salt,  operate  as  a  direct 
and  active  flux  to  the  silex  of  the  sand. 

Man.  1 6.  Flint  Glass.  This  is  distinguished  from 
other  kinds  of  glass  by  its  superior  purity,  density, 
and  lustre  ;  and  in  the  manufacture,  a  greater  at- 
tention is  bestowed  in  selecting  and  preparing  the 
materials,  as  well  as  in  the  composition  and  smelt- 
ing. Its  composition  is,  however,  chiefly  distin- 
guished by  the  introduction  of  lead,  which  ig 
largely  employed.  It  is  used  in  the  state  of  an 
oxyd,  either  litharge  or  red  lead,  the  latter  is  pre- 
ferred, particularly  when  manufactured  from  the 
direct  calcination  of  lead.  Litharge  is  generally 
contaminated  with  other  metallic  bodies,  as  anti- 
mony, bismuth,  &c.  which  not  only  impair  its  ac- 
tivity as  a  flux,  but  have  a  direct  tendency  to  com- 
municate a  yellow  tinge  to  the  glass.  The  uses  of 
lead  in  glass  are  two-fold  :  as  a  flux,  and  as  a  per- 
manent material  of  the  ware.     All  the  oxydes  of 


147 

lead  operate  as  a  powerful  flux  (o  earthy  mixtures, 
particularly  those  in  which  silex   predominates. 
Hence,  they  are  introduced  into  the  composition 
of  flint  glass,  in  lieu  of  potash,  which  is  use.]  only 
in  small  quantities  in  lead  glasses.     A  considera- 
ble portion  of  the  potash  employed  in  glass  is  lost 
by  volatilization,   and  the  quantity  is  constantly 
diminishing  the  longer  it  is  kept  in  the  furnace, 
and  the  higher  the  heat  to  which  it  is  exposed; 
so  that  it  is  probable  if  glass  were  kept  long  enough 
in  the  furnace,  it  would  lose  the  entire  quantity  of 
potash  originally  put  in  the  composition,  at  least 
so  much  of  it  as  consisted  of  pure  alkali.     The 
oxyd  of  iron  and  other  metallic  and  earthy  impuri- 
ties contained  in  common  potash  would  certainly 
remain,  because  they  are  indestructible  by  fire, 
and  cannot  be  volatilized  in  any  heat.     The  ex- 
periments of  Loysel  on  the  volatilization  of  alkali 
from  glass,  are  certainly  conclusive;  at  the  same 
time,  there  are  few  glass-masters  who  have  not 
become  practically  convinced  of  the   fact;  for  the 
longer  glass  is  retained  in  the  fire,  after  it  has  been 
there  the  usual  period  of  smelting  and  blowing, 
the  stifFer,  harsher,   and   more  unworkable  it  is. 
This  property  of  alkaline  glasses,  which  is  no  in- 
convenience in  the  manufacture  of  cylinder,  crown, 
or  bottle  glass,  where  the  pots  are  blown  out  within 
12  hours  after  melting,  is  a  serious  evil  to  the  flint 
glass  maker,  who  is  often  employed  two  days,  and 
when  blowing  small  articles,  4  or  5  days  in  empty- 
ing one  pot.     It  is  to  remedy  this  evil,   that  lead 
was  probably  first  introduced  into  the  composition, 
and  it  certainly  has  the  desired  effect,  for  a  pot  of 


148 

lead  glass  may  be  kept  a  week  in  the  furnace 
without  any  sensible  diminution  of  its  pliability,  or 
other  essential  properties.  Hence  its  superior  use- 
fulness in  this  manufacture ;  it  is  a  flux  equally 
powerful  with  potash,  and  without  its  liability  to 
volatilize.  Lead  also  increases  the  strength  of 
glass,  by  enabling  it  to  bear  a  more  sudden  transi- 
tion from  heat  to  cold,  and  is  particularly  adapted 
for  cutting  and  polishing.  Its  high  metallic  lustre, 
weight,  limpidity,  and  powe  of  refracting  light, 
also  sufficiently  distinguish  it  above  other  spe- 
cies of  glass,  and  particularly  adapt  it  to  the  man- 
ufacture of  decanters,  wines,  tumblers,  &c. 

Man.  17.  Artificial  Gems.  In  the  manufacture 
of  these,  as  in  glass-making,  of  which  indeed  it  is 
only  a  branch,  the  different  oxyds  of  lead  are  much 
employed.  These  gems  consist  of  a  basis  of  colour- 
less flint  glass,  tinged  of  various  hues,  by  different 
metallic  oxyds,  and  so  as  to  resemble  the  emerald, 
amethyst,  opal,  carnelian,  &c.  As  an  instance,  one 
of  the  receipts  may  be  given.  Mix  16  parts  of 
red  lead,  8  of  silex,  (or  rock  crystal  in  powder,) 
4  of  refined  nitre,  2  of  borax,  and  1  of  carbonate  of 
potash.  Melt  this  composition  in  a  close  crucible,  in 
a  glass-house  furnace,  or  any  other  furnace  capa- 
ble of  giving  the  required  heat.  This  is  a  common 
basis  for  counterfeit  gems,  and  may  be  tinged  violet 
by  manganese,  blue  by  cobalt,  ra/by  gold,  green  by 
copper,  yellwj  by  silver  or  antimony,  white  opake 
by  tin,  &c. 

Man.  18.  Sugar  of  lead :  Acetite  of  Lead.  This 
metallic  salt  is  a  combination  of  lead  with  the 
acetous  acid,  i,  e.  common  vinegar.     The  process 


149 

consists  simply  in  dissolving  the  corroded  lead 
scraped  offsheet  lead  in  the  manufacture  of  white 
lead,  in  distilled  vinegar.  The  solution  is  facili- 
tated by  applying  a  gentle  heat,  and  then  set  aside 
to  crystalize.  If  the  crystals  are  imperfect,  it  is 
common  to  re-dissolve,  and  re-crystalize. 

Man.  19.  Metallic  Buttons.  These  are  made  of 
various  alloys  of  copper,  zinc,  and  iron,  with  lead, 
tin,  silver,  antimony,  &c.  The  best  are  gilt,  or 
silvered,  either  by  plating  or  washing.  No  very 
exact  rules  can  be  given  for  the  compositions,  for 
they  are  nearly  as  various  as  the  manufacturers 
themselves,  and  it  is  a  business  in  which  practice 
will  be  found  the  best  instructor.  A  manufactory 
of  buttons  was  introduced  into  the  United  States, 
previous  to  the  revolutionary  war,  by  a  Mr.  Wistar, 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Philadelphia. 

Man.  20.  Sheet  lead  Boxes.  This  manufacture 
is  chiefly  concerned  in  the  production  of  leaden 
boxes,  which  are  found  very  convenient  for  pre- 
serving a  variety  of  substances,  which  would  be 
injured  by  exposure  to  air  or  moisture.  Though 
of  no  great  importance,  the  manufacture  may  be 
presumed  to  make  use  of  a  considerable  quantity 
of  pig  lead  annually. 

Man.  21.  Weights  and  Measures.  These  are 
either  made  from  lead  alone,  or  tin  alone,  or  lead 
alloyed  with  tin,  or  copper,  or  all  three  together. 

Man.  22.  Toys,  Castings,  &c.  Under  this  head 
a  quantity  of  lead  is  annually  consumed,  and  there- 
fore forms  an  item  in  the  catalogue  of  manufactures 
dependant  upon  lead. 


150 

Lead  is  also  one  of  the  ingredients  used  in  the 
composition  for  silvering  glass  globes,  and  in  the 
powder  used  in  polishing  glass  mirrors,  and  is  also 
further  employed  in  several  preparations  in  phar- 
macy, in  experimental  philosophy,  and  chymistry, 
and  in  a  variety  of  economical  uses  in  the  plumber's 
art, 


PART  II. 


OBSERVATIONS 

ON    THE 

GEOGRAPHY,  MINERALOGY,  GEOLOGY,  ANTI- 
QUITIES, SOIL,  CLIMATE,  POPULATION, 
AND  PRODUCTIONS 

OF 

MISSOURI, 

AND  OTHER  SECTIONS  OF  THE  WESTERN  COUNTRY. 


Art.  I.  Geographical  outline  of  Missouri  Ter- 
ritory. 

Art.  II.  A  Catalogue  of  the  Minerals  of  the  wes- 
tern country. 

Art.  III.  Journal  of  a  voyage  up  the  Mississippi, 
from  the  mouth  of  Ohio  to  St.  Louis,  with  an 
account  of  that  place. 

Art.  IV.  Topographical  account  of  White  River, 
in  Arkansaw  territory. 

Art.  V.     Miscellaneous  information. 


ARTICLE  L 


GEOGRAPHICAL  OUTLINE  OF  THE  MISSOURI  TERRITORY 


1 .     Situation,  Boundaries,  and  Extent. 

When  Louisiana  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as 
an  independent  State,  all  that  part  of  the  territory 
situated  north  of  the  33°  of  N.  latitude,  and  for- 
merly known  as  Upper  Louisiana,  was  erected  into 
a  separate  territorial  government  under  the  name 
of  Missouri.  It  also  included  those  boundless 
plains,  and  unexplored  countries  stretching  from 
north  to  south,  at  the  foot  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains*, and  which  pass  into  the  province  of  Texas 
on  the  south,  and  are  bounded  on  the  western  line 
of  Louisiana  on  the  east.  In  the  month  of  March,  of 
the  present  year,  the  southern  partof  Missouri  Ter- 
ritory, including  the  unincorporated  regions  on  the 
west  and  south-west,  was  erected  into  a  separate 
territory,  under  the  name  of  Arkansaw,  so  that  the 
present  territory  of  Missouri  consists  of  all  that 
part  of  ancient  Louisiana,  which  is  neither  includ- 
ed in  the  state  of  Louisiana,  or  the  territory  of 
Arkansaw.  The  regions  to  the  northwest,  may  be 
considered  as  an  unincorporated  wilderness,  where 
the  authority  of  the  United  States,  so  far  as  the 

*  Called  Chipjwwan  Mountains  by  McKcnzie,  who  is  followed  by  Darby 
n  bis  geographical  lectures  now  delivering  in  New- York. 

20 


151 

Indian  title  has  been  extinguished,  is  maintained 
in  detached  posts  and  garrisons,  under  the  imme- 
diate government  of  military  commandants.  The 
bounds  of  Missouri,  as  designated  in  the  late  law 
respecting  that  country,  are  as  follows  :  beginning 
on  the  Mississippi  river  in  latitude  36°  north,  and 
running  due  west  on  the  latitude  line  to  the  River  St. 
Francis,  thence  up  that  river  to  36°  30"  north  lati- 
tu  le,  thence  west  to  a  point  due  south  of  the  mouth 
of  the  River  Kanzas,  thence  north  to  a  point  oppo- 
site the  mouth  of  the  River  Desmoines,  thence  east 
to  the  Mississippi  river,  and  down  the  middle  of 
that  river  to  the  place  of  beginning- 
It  occupies,  therefore,  that  section  of  country 
situated  in  the  great  bend  described  by  the  Mis- 
souri and  the  Mississippi,  from  about  four  hundred 
miles  below  the  Grand  Turn  of  the  former,  to  a 
point  near  the  junction  of  the  River  St.  Francis 
with  the  latter,  including  also  the  point  of  land 
formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Missouri  with  the 
Mississippi.  It  embraces  some  of  the  most  promi- 
nent geographical  features  of  the  western  country, 
and  from  the  meeting  of  such  mighty  streams  on 
its  confines,  and  its  relation  to  all  the  country 
situated  north  and  west  of  it,  must  become  the  key 
to  all  the  commerce  of  tiiose  regions,  and  is  des- 
tined to  have  a  commanding  influence  on  the  sur- 
rounding states,  and  the  political  character  and 
mutations  of  that  country.  It  is  bounded  by  the 
states  of  Illinois  and  Kentucky,  from  which  it  is 
se  rated  by  the  Mississippi  river  on  the  east  and 
northeast,    by    the  territory  of  Arkansaw  on  the 


155 

south,  and  by  the  independent  Indian  Nations  on 
the  west  and  northwest. 

2.  Soil,  Climate,  and  Productions. 
The  country  west  of  the  Mississippi,  differs  in 
some  respects,  from  any  other  section  of  the  west- 
tern  country,  and  affords  a  variety  in  its  physical 
aspect,  which  is  no  where  else  to  be  met  with.  A 
great  proportion  of  the  lands  in  this  territory  are 
of  the  richest  kind,  producing  corn,  wheat,  rye, 
oats,  tlax,  hemp,  and  tobacco,  in  great  abundance, 
and  in  great  perfection.  The  lands  bordering  on 
the  Missouri  as  far  as  the  territory  extends,  are  rich 
beyond  comparison.  They  consist  of  a  stratum  of 
black  alluvial  soil,  of  unknown  depth  and  partaking 
largely  of  the  properties  of  marl ;  and  the  heavy 
growth  of  forest  trees  by  which  it  is  covered,  indi- 
cates the  strength  of  the  soil.  As  you  recede  from 
the  banks  of  the  rivers,  the  land  rises,  passing 
sometimes  by  almost  imperceptible  gradations,  and 
sometimes  very  abruptly  into  elevated  barrens, 
flinty  ridges,  and  rocky  cliffs.  A  portion  of  the  ter- 
ritory is,  therefore,  unfit  for  cultivation,  but  still 
serves  as  the  matrix  of  numerous  ores,  which  are 
distributed  abundantly  in  the  hills  and  mountains 
of  the  interior.  There  is  very  little  land  of  an  in- 
termediate quality.  It  is  either  very  rich,  or  very 
poor:  it  is  either  bottom  land,  or  cliffy  prairie 
or  barren;  and  we  look  in  vain  for  those  well 
known  characters  in  the  colour,  texture,  and  com- 
position of  the  soil,  which  are  found  in  the  farming- 
lands  of  intermediate  quality  in  New-England, 
New- York,  or  Pennsylvania.  It  is  a  deep  black 
marl,  or  a  high  bluffrock,and  the  transition  is  often 


156 

so  sudden,  as  to  produce  scenes  of  the  most  pic- 
turesque beauty.  Hence  the  traveller  in  the  in- 
terior, is  often  surprised  to  behold  at  one  view, 
cliffs  and  prairies,  bottoms  and  barrens,  naked  hills, 
heavy  forests,  rocks,  streams,  and  plains,  all  suc- 
ceeding each  other  with  rapidity,  and  mingled  with 
the  most  pleasing  harmony.  I  have  contemplated 
such  scenes  while  standing  on  some  lofty  bluff  in 
the  wilderness  of  Missouri,  with  emotions  of  un- 
mixed delight,  while  the  deer,  the  elk,  and  the 
buffalo,  were  grazing  quietly  on  the  plains  below, 
and  if  any  thing  in  the  natural  physiology  of  the 
earth,  has  a  power  to  turn  our  thoughts  from  the 
pursuit  of  earthly  glory,  to  the  contemplation  of 
celestial  bliss,  to  the  origin,  the  nature,  and  the 
end  of  our  being,  to  the  connexion  between  God 
and  man,  it  must  be  a  scene  like  this,  where  we 
are  presented  with  au  assemblage  of  all  that  is 
novel,  beautiful,  or  sublime  in  the  face  of  nature, 
far  removed  from  the  tumult,  dangers,  and  decep- 
tions of  life,  and  encompassed  on  all  sides  by  si- 
lence, tranquillity  and  peace. 

Situated  between  the  36th  and  40th  degrees  of 
north  latitude,  the  territory  of  Missouri  enjoys  a 
climate  of  remarkable  serenity,  and  temperate 
warmth.  It  is  equally  exempted  from  the  hot  sum- 
mers of  the  south,  and  th  *  cold  winters  of  the  north, 
a  medium  happily  calculated  to  favour  the  pursuits 
of  agriculture,  commerce,  and  navigation.  That 
clear  blue  sky  so  much  admired  by  the  aborigines, 
is  characteristic  of  the  country,  and  an  atmosphere 
of  unusual  dryness,  exempts  the  inhabitants  from 
those  pulmonary  complaints   which   are  more  or 


157 

less  the  consequence  of  an  atmosphere  surcharged 
with  watery  particles.  The  Rocky  Mountains 
serve  to  shelter  this  country  from  those  cold  north- 
west winds,  which  prevail  during  the  fall  and  win- 
ter in  some  degree,  throughout  the  United  States, 
and  which  sweeping  over  the  great  northern  lakes, 
visit  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  New-York,  and  New- 
England  with  extreme  cold,  attended  by  early 
frosts  in  the  fall,  and  late  frosts  in  the  spring. 
Neither  are  long  continued  storms  common,  noth- 
ing being  more  remarkable  than  the  frequent 
changes  of  the  wind,  which  seems  to  be  rather  an 
eddy,  or  counteraction  in  the  current  of  the  atmos- 
phere, caused  by  the  constant  and  powerful 
breezes  which  play  around  the  northern  extremi- 
ty of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  than  a  fixed,  and  regular 
current  produced  by  inequalities  in  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  air.  Rain  is  common  in  the  summer 
season,  and  the  earth  is  thus  supplied  with  a  mois- 
ture, which  it  would  lack,  were  it  dependant  alone 
upon  natural  dews. 

A  country  thus  situated,  cannot  fail  to  prove 
genial  to  the  vegetable  kingdom.  It  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  point  out  a  section  of  country  which  afford?, 
a  more  interesting  field  for  the  botanist.  Its  prai 
ries  and  barrens  are  covered  with  a  profusion  of 
wild  flowers,  shrubs,  and  plants,  and  its  cultivated 
fields  yield  to  the  hands  of  the  planter,  a  great 
proportion  of  the  useful  vegetables  of  the  earth. 
Corn  succeeds  remarkably ;  no  country  surpasses 
the  banks  of  the  Missouri  for  the  vigour  of  its 
crops.  Wheat,  rye,  oats,  flax,  and  hemp,  are  also 
raised  with  advantage.     Tobacco  is   an  article 


158 

i  ^eently  introduced,  but  is  found  to  succeed  well, 
and  the  lands  are  said  to  be  as  well  adapted  to  its 
growth  as  those  of  Kentucky  and  Virginia.  Cotton 
is  raised  in  the  southern  part  of  the  territory  for 
family  use,  but  is  not  an  advantageous  crop  for 
market.  The  climate  and  soil  are  also  adapted 
to  the  growth  of  the  sweet  or  Carolina  potatoe, 
and  to  fruit  trees  of  various  kinds.  The  peach  and 
the  apple  are  most  generally  cultivated.  Of  wild 
fruits,  the  woods  afford  abundance,  among  which, 
the  grape,  percimmon,  papaw,  pecan,  and  filbert, 
are  conspicuous.  Some  varieties  of  the  grape  are 
delicious,  and  they  are  very  common  at  the  mines, 
where  the  inhabitants  prepare  a  wine  from  them, 
which  has  a  pleasant  flavour,  and  is  a  cooling 
drink  in  summer*. 
3.  Political  Divisions,  Population,  and  Principal  Towns. 

Missouri  is  divided  into  sixteen  counties,  named 
and  situated  as  follows  : 

St.  Louis,  \ 


Franklin, 

Cooper, 

Howard, 


Bounded    on  the  Missouri 
and  the  Mississippi,  and  oc- 
St.  Charles,  /cupying  the  north  and  west 

Montgomery,         [sections  of  the  territory. 
Pike, 
Lincoln, 

*  Missorm  Wive.  The  following  is  the  process  for  making  this  wine. 
Boil  20  lbs.  of  brown  sugar,  and  clear  it,  add  12  gallons  of  water,  and  the 
whites  of  4  eggs  well  beaten,  then  skim  it,  and  set  it  off  the  fire  to  cool,  when 
blood  warm,  put  in  the  juice  ofl  bushel  of  grapes,  when  near  cold  siir  it,  and 
put  in  half  a  pint  of  lemon  juice,  and  6  spoonsfull  of  yest,  and  beat  it  well 
about  in  the  liquor;  stii  it  every  day,  put  6  lbs.  of  good  raisins  in  a  cleau 
cask,  and  throw  upon  them  the  above  liquor,  then  bung  up  the  cask,  and  in 
6  months  it  will  be  fit  for  u*e,  or  to  bottle  nn. 


159 


Lawrence, 
New-Madrid, 
Cape  Girardeau, 
Wayne, 

St.  Genevieve, 
Madison, 
Jefferson, 
Washington, 


Occupying  the  southern 
district,  and  bounded  by  the 
Arkansaw  territory  on  the 
south,  and  by  the  Mississip- 
pi, on  the  east. 
\  Forming  the  district  of  the 
mines,  and  occupying  the  cen- 
tre of  the  territory,  bounded 
by  the  Mississippi  on  the  east, 
land  by  the  regions  stretching 
[towards  the  rocky  Mountains 
/  on  the  west. 
Its  population,  exclusive  of  the  aborigines, 
has  been  stated  at  40,000,  the  greatest  proportion 
of  whom  have  emigrated  into  the  territory  within 
the  last  five  years.  They  consist  of  people  from 
various  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  from  Eu- 
rope. A  large  proportion  are  from  Tennessee, 
Kentucky,  New- York,  and  New-England.  The 
original  inhabitants  were  French  and  Spanish. 
There  are  few  of  the  latter  remaining,  but  the  for- 
mer constitute  a  respectable  proportion  of  the 
population. 

The  principal  towns  of  Missouri,  are  St.  Louis, 
St.  Genevieve,  St.  Charles,  and  Franklin.  Of  a 
lesser  size,  are  Herculaneum,  Potosi,  St.  Michael, 
New-Madrid,  Cape  Girardeau,  Jackson,  Chariton, 
Florrissant,  and  Carondelet.  St.  Louis  is  the  ca- 
pital of  the  territory,  and  by  far  the  largest  town 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  or  west  of  Cincinnati,  in 
Ohio.  It  consists  of  about  550  houses,  and  5,000 
inhabitants,  and  has  two  Banks,  three  houses  for 


16W 

public  worship,  a  post  office,  theatre,  land  office, 
and  museum,  including  forty  stores,  with  several 
mills,  manufactories,  &c.  It  is  eligibly  situated 
on  the  west  banks  of  the  Mississippi  river,  eigh- 
teen miles  below  the  junction  of  the  Missouri,  and 
from  its  commanding  situation,  is  destined  to  be- 
come the  emporium  of  the  western  country. 

Franklin,  (at  Boon's  Lick,)  on  the  Missouri,  has 
1 50  houses,  is  the  thoroughfare  for  emigrants  to 
that  quarter,  and  is  surrounded  by  one  of  the  rich- 
est bodies  of  land  west  of  the  Alleghany  Moun- 
tains, and  to  which  emigration  is  flowing,  with 
unexampled  rapidity. 

St.  Charles,  situated  twenty-one  miles  above  St. 
Louis  on  the  Missouri,  is  also  a  handsome  town, 
and  flourishing,  as  well  as  Chariton,  one  hundred 
and  eighty  miles  above,  at  the  mouth  of  a  river  of 
that  name. 

4.     Rivers  mid  Mountains. 

No  country  in  the  world  affords  such  an  extent 
of  inland  navigation  by  its  sreams,  as  the  basin 
lying  between  the  Alleghany  and  Rocky  moun- 
tains, and  whose  congregated  waters  are  carried 
to  the  ocean  by  those  stupenduous  natural  canals, 
the  Mississippi,  the  Missouri,  the  Ohio,  and  the 
Illinois.  The  Mississippi  itself,  in  whose  current 
all  these  unite,  and  are  discharged  into  the  Mexi- 
can Gulph,  washes  the  eastern  boundaries  of  Mis- 
souri Territory,  from  the  mouth  of  the  River  Des* 
moines,  to  near  that  of  the  St.  Francis,  a  distance 
of  more  than  five  hundred  miles,  and  may  be  navi- 
gated three  thousand  five  hundred  miles  from  the 
ocean.  The  Missouri,  swelled  by  its  great  tributa- 


161 

ries,  the  Yellow  Stone,  Little  Missouri,  White 
Stone,  Soo,  (Sioux,)  Laplatte,  Kanzas,  and  Osage, 
passes  diagonally  nearly  through  its  centre,  afford- 
ing on  both  sides  a  wide  extended  tract  of  soil 
transcendently  rich,  and  bearing  a  luxuriant  growth 
of  forest  trees,  and  plants,  interspersed  with  prai- 
rie. It  is  navigable,  without  interruption  from  its 
junction  with  the  Mississippi  to  its  falls,  a  distance 
of  two  thousand  five  hundred  and  seventy-seven 
miles,  and  which  is  about  three  thousand  nine 
hundred  miles  from  the  Gulph  of  Mexico.  It  may 
be  navigated  above  the  falls  a  vast  distance,  and 
into  regions  which  are  only  known  to  the  savages. 

The  Ohio  is  a  thousand  miles  in  length  from  its 
head  at  Pittsburgh,  to  its  junction  with  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  in  its  passage,  successively  washes  the 
shores  of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  Ohio,  Kentucky, 
Indiana,  and  Illinois, — shores  which  are  covered 
with  villages,  towns,  and  settlements,  and  lined 
with  an  industrious  and  hardy  population  of  free- 
men. 

The  Illinois  is  also  a  stream  affording  a  great 
length  of  navigation,  and  lands  of  superior  quality, 
and  has  a  natural  connexion  with  the  great  north- 
western lakes,  by  which  boats  may,  at  certain  sea- 
sons, uninterruptedly  pass  from  Lake  Superior,  and 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods. 

These  rivers  communicating  with  all  parts  of 
the  country,  by  their  tributaries,  afford  the  advan- 
tages of  commercial  exchange,  trade,  and  manu- 
factures, to  a  greater  extent,  and  a  richer  quality  of 
country,  than  is  any  where  to  be  found  in  Europe, 
Asia,  or  Africa, 

21 


162 

Of  these  advantages,  the  territory  of  Missouri, 
occupying  so  commanding  a  position  in  the  geo- 
graphy of  the  country,  must  always  partake  large- 
ly, and  may,  from  the  wealth  already  concentrated 
in  its  capital,  St.  Louis,  enjoy  almost  exclusively, 
the  trade  of  the  Missouri,  and  upper  Mississippi. 

The  streams  which  originate  within  the  lines 
described  by  the  political  boundaries  of  the  Ter- 
ritory, and  which  either  during  their  whole  course, 
or  for  a  considerable  distance,  meander  through  it, 
are  the  Osage,  the  Gasconade,  Merrimack,  Salt 
River,  St.  Francis,  and  Black  River.  Of  a  lesser 
magnitude  are  Mine  River,  Manitow,  Chariton, 
Currents,  Fourche  a  Thomas,  Eleven-points,  and 
Spring  River;  the  four  latter  running  southerly 
into  the  Arkansaw  Territory,  and  discharging  their 
waters  into  Black  River,  which  is  itself  a  tributary 
of  White  River. 

The  Osage,  originates  in  a  prairie  country,  near 
the  96th  degree  of  west  longitude,  about  100  miles 
north  of  the  banks  of  the  Arkansaw,  and  after 
meandering  in  an  east,  and  north-east  direction 
for  a  distance  of  900  miles,  unites  with  the  Mis- 
souri 130  miles  above  St.  Louis.  In  its  course  it 
is  swelled  by  several  tributaries,  the  principal  of 
which  is  the  Little  Osage,  its  great  south-eastern 
fork.  This  river  affords  in  its  whole  length  large 
bodies  of  the  choicest  prairie  land,  interspersed 
with  wood  land,  and  occasionally  with  hills,  and 
is  navigable  for  moderate  sized  boats  600  miles. 
Its  banks  afford  exhaustless  beds  of  stone-coal,  and 
some  iron  and  lead  is  found,  and  its  upper  forks 
reach  into  the  country  of  the  Pawnees— a  country 


163 

rich  in  salt.  The  Osage  Indians  inhabit  its  banks, 
and  a  part  of  the  lands  have  been  purchased  by 
the  United  States.  It  is  a  very  beautiful  stream, 
and  situated  in  a  delightful  climate  ;  and  when  its 
borders  are  opened  for  emigration,  and  its  re- 
sources properly  drawn  forth,  will  support  a  vast 
population,  and  a  profitable  trade.  Of  this  stream, 
emigrants,  and  the  people  of  this  Territory  gene- 
rally know  less  than  their  interests  demand.  Its 
fertile  soil,  genial  climate,  and  great  length,  enti- 
tle it  to  the  rank  of  one  of  the  first  tributaries  of 
the  Missouri. 

In  estimating  the  length  of  western  Rivers,  there 
is  one  circumstance,  which  is  neither  properly 
estimated  by  an  eastern  reader,  nor  does  it  appear 
to  enter  into  people's  calculations  here.  7/  is  their 
serpentine  course,  which  is  so  remarkable,  that  in 
running  one  hundred  miles  on  a  geographical 
line,  they  will,  by  their  great  windings,  measure 
at  least  double  that  distance,  so  that  a  river  stated 
to  be  one  thousand  miles  in  length  by  its  banks, 
cannot  be  calculated  to  traverse  a  country  of  more 
than  five  hundred  miles  in  extent,  and  i  believe. 
a  fair  average  of  distances,  would  show  the  geo- 
graphical distance  less. 

The  Gasconade  enters  the  Missouri  one  hundred 
miles  above  St.  Louis.  Its  length  is  about  two 
hundred  miles,  and  it  is  navigable  about  half  that 
distance.  It  is  made  up  of  several  streams  running 
from  a  ridge  of  high  lands,  separating  the  waters 
which  fall  on  the  north  into  the  Missouri,  and  on 
the  south  into  the  Mississippi.  Its  banks  ;:ifbrd 
but   a  «*mHll  proportion   of  tiilable  lands,  being 


164 

bordered  with  rocks,  and  sterile  hills.  The  rocks 
are,  however,  cavernous,  and  afford  saltpetre,  and 
the  hills  are  covered  by  pine  timber,  which  is  saw- 
ed into  boards  and  plank.  In  these  two  articles 
the  commerce  of  this  river  w  ill  always  principal- 
ly consist.  The  current  is  rapid,  and  affords  by  its 
fall  many  mill  seats,  so  that  boats  and  rafts  may 
descend  with  ease,  but  its  ascent  is  attended  w  ith 
great  labour.  On  this  stream  are  already  situated 
several  saw  mills,  where  boards  and  plank  are 
cut  for  the  St.  Louis  market,  and  several  salt  petre 
caves  are  worked. 

The  Merrimack.  This  river  originates  in  high 
lands,  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  southwest  of  its 
mouth,  and  is  only  separated  from  the  waters 
of  the  Gasconade  by  a  dividing  ridge  of  land.  It 
is  swelled  in  its  course  by  a  great  number  of 
streams,  the  most  noted  of  which,  are  Little  Merri- 
mack, Bourbuse,  Fourche  a  Courtois,  Big  River, 
and  Mineral  Fork.  It  forms  a  junction  with  the 
Mississippi,  eighteen  miles  below  St.  Louis,  where 
it  is  two  hundred  yards  wide.  It  is  only  naviga- 
ble about  fifty  miles,  unless  in  high  floods  in  the 
spring  and  fall,  when  most  of  its  tributaries  may 
be  ascended  with  boats.  This  stream  waters  the 
country  of  the  mines,  and  interlocks,  by  its  tribu- 
taries, with  the  waters  of  the  Gasconade  on  the 
west,  and  the  St.  Francis  on  the  south.  The  mines 
of  Missouri  are  situated  on  its  southern  shores, 
which  also  afford  iron,  zinc,  manganese,  and  salt- 
petre. Much  of  the  land  on  this  stream  is  poor; 
near  its  head,  are  large  forests  of  pine. 


165 

Salt  River.  This  river  enters  the  Mississippi 
one  hundred  and  three  miles  above  St.  Louis,  and 
seventy-three  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois. 
The  settlements  on  its  banks  are  rapidly  progress- 
ing, and  the  lands  are  noted  for  their  fertility. 

St.  Francis.  This  river  originates  with  Big  Ri- 
ver, and  Fourche  a  Courtois,  in  broken  lands  in 
the  south  part  of  Washington  and  St.  Genevieve 
counties,  and  joins  the  Mississippi  five  hundred 
miles  below.  The  most  noted  bodies  of  iron  ore 
in  the  western  country  lie  on  its  head,  in  Bellevue. 
The  Mine  La  Motte  lead  mines  also  lie  along  the 
banks  of  one  of  its  tributaries.  It  affords,  in  its 
course,  a  proportion  of  excellent  land,  mixed  with 
some  that  is  rocky,  and  bordered  near  its  mouth 
with  much  that  is  swampy,  low,  and  overflown.  A 
raft  of  trees,  brush,  &c.  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  above  its  mouth,  obstructs  the  navigation, 
which  would  otherwise  be  good  to  within  fourteen 
miles  of  St.  Michael,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Madison 
county.  Millstones  and  plumbago,  (the  graphite  of 
mineralogy,)  are  among  the  mineral  products  of 
this  river.  The  substance  used  for  millstones 
is  a  red  granite,  and  bears  the  test  of  experiment. 

Black  River  has  its  origin  near  the  heads  of  the 
Gasconade  and  the  Merrimack,  and  is  swelled  in 
its  course  by  the  River  Currents,  Fourche  a  Tho- 
mas, Eleven-points,  Spring  River,  and  Strawberry 
River,  and  forms  a  junction  with  White  River, 
about  forty  miles  below  Poke  Bayou,  where  the 
road  to  Arkansaw  and  Red  River  crosses  it.  The 
banks  of  Black  River,  and  of  all  its  tributaries, 
afford  strips  of  rich  alluvial  land  of  more  or  less 


166 

extent.     But  the  intervening  ridges  are  rocky  and 
sterile. 

Although  there  is  much  high  land  in  this  territo- 
ry, there  is  perhaps  none  which  is,  strictly  speak- 
ing, entitled  to  the  appellation  of  a  mountain,  A 
ridge  of  land  commencing  on  the  banks  of  the 
Merrimack,  near  the  Fourche  a  Courtois,  extends 
in  a  southwest  direction  to  the  banks  of  White  Ri- 
ver, in  Arkansaw  territory,  a  distance  of  about 
four  hundred  miles,  and  occasionally  rises  into 
peaks  of  mountain  height.  This  ridge  serves  to 
divide  the  waters  of  the  Missouri  from  those  of  the 
Mississippi,  the  streams  on  one  side  running  south 
into  the  latter,  and  those  on  the  other,  running  north 
into  the  former.  The  body  of  red  granite  found 
on  the  head  of  the  St.  Francis,  lies  in  mountain 
masses,  and  forms,  in  connexion  with  the  accom- 
panying rocks,  some  of  the  most  rude  and  terrific 
scenery,  full  of  interest  in  a  mineralogical,  as  well 
as  a  geological  point  of  view. 

5.     Mines  and  Minerals. 

In  the  preceding  view  of  the  lead  mines  of  Mis- 
souri, I  have  already  anticipated  much  of  what 
might  here  be  properly  introduced,  and  in  the  cata- 
logue of  minerals,  which  I  propose  to  incorporate 
with  the  following  part  of  this  work,  1  shall  present 
a- general  account  of  the  minerals  of  Missouri,  and 
other  parts  of  the  western  country ;  but  as  this  geo- 
graphical outline  forms  an  independent  article, 
and  may  be  perused  by  many  who  neither  read  the 
View  or  Catalogue,  it  will  be  proper  here  to  give  a 
synopsis  of  both. 


167 

The  lead  mines  in  this  territory  are  situated 
about  forty  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  sixty 
miles  southwest  of  St.  Louis.  They  occupy  a  dis- 
trict of  country  between  the  waters  of  the  St.  Fran- 
cis and  the  Merrimack  of  one  hundred  miles  in 
length,  by  about  forty  in  breadth,  comprising  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  counties  of  Washington,  St. 
Genevieve,  Jefferson,  and  Madison.  The  first 
lead  ore  was  discovered  by  Philip  Francis  Re- 
nault, and  M.  La  Motte,  acting  under  the  authority 
of  the  Company  of  the  West,  about  the  year  1720; 
since  which  period,  the  number  of  mines  has  been 
greatly  augmented  by  new  discoveries.  The  num- 
ber of  mines  now  worked,  is  forty-five,  thirty-nine 
of  which  are  in  Washington  county,  three  in  St. 
Genevieve,  one  in  Madison,  and  two  in  Jefferson. 
The  quantity  of  lead  annually  smelted  from  the 
crude  ore,  I  have  estimated  at  three  millions  of 
pounds,  and  the  number  of  hands  to  whom  it 
furnishes  employment,  at  eleven  hundred.  The 
price  of  lead  at  the  mines  is  four  dollars  per  cwt.  The 
price  paid  to  miners  for  raising  the  ore,  and  deli- 
vering it  ready  dressed  to  the  smelters,  is  two  dol- 
lars per  cwt.  payable  in  pig  lead.  The  ore  ex- 
clusively worked,  is  the  common  sulphuret  of  lead, 
or  galena,  with  a  broad  glittering  grain.  It  is 
found  imbedded  in  sulphate  of  barytes,  accom- 
panied by  calcareous  spar,  blende,  quartz,  and 
pyrites.  It  melts  easily,  yielding  in  the  large  way 
from  sixty  to  seventy  per  cent,  of  pure  metal.  By 
analysis,  I  procured  eighty-two  per  cent.;  the 
residue  being  chiefly  sulphur,  combined  with  a 
small  proportion  of  carbonated  lime  and  silex; 


168 

and  the  ore  contains  no  silver.  The  most  noted 
and  extensive  mines  are  known  under  the  following 
names  : 

Mine  a  Burton,  Mine  La  Motte, 

Mine  Shibboleth,  Mine  a  Joe, 

Lebautn's  Mines,  Mine  Renault, 

Old  Mines,  New  Diggings, 

Bryan's  Mines,  Mine  Liberty, 

Pratt's  Mines,  Cannon's  Mines, 

Mine  a  Robins,  Mine  Silvers, 

Mine  Astraddle,  Mine  a  Martin. 

Other  mines  of  lead  are  also  situated  in  different 
parts  of  the  Territory,  but  have  not  been  explored. 
The  Osage,  Gasconade,  Black,  Strawberry,  and 
Mine  Rivers,  all  afford  traces  of  lead,  and  there  is 
reason  to  conclude  that  extensive  bodies  of  it  may 
be  found. 

Iron  ore  is  found  in  very  large  bodies  in  Belle- 
vue,  Washington  County — on  Fourche  a  Courtois, 
where  it  is  accompanied  by  manganese ; — on  Big 
River; — on  Platten  and  Joachim  Creeks,  and  on 
the  waters  of  the  St.  Francis  and  Black  Rivers. 
Zinc  accompanies  the  lead  ore  at  several  mines  in 
Washington  County.  Antimony  has  been  found  in 
Bellevue,  and  arsenic  in  Cape  Girardeau,  where 
there  is  a  very  extensive  body  of  chalk,  accompa- 
nied by  flint.  Red  chalk,  ochre,  salt,  nitre,  steatite, 
gypsum,  marl,  plumbago,  porphyry,  jasper,  chalce- 
dony, barytes,  pumice,  and  granite,  are  among  the 
useful  minerals,  of  less  importance.  Stone  coal 
exists  in  large  bodies  at  Florrissant,  and  in  various 
places  on  the  Osage  River. 


169 

G.     Antiquities  and  Curiosities.     A  number  of  ske» 
letons  were  discovered  in  the  fall  of  1818,   on  the 
plantation  of  Mr.  Long,  on  the  River  Merrimack, 
which  indicate  a  stature  unusually  small,  and  are 
supposed  by  many  to  be  the  remains  of  an  extinct 
race  of  human  beings,  of  dwarfish  origin,  who  have 
inhabited  the  country  at  a  former  period.     Others 
have  attempted  to  account  for  these  appearances 
by  a  reference  to  the  ancient  customs  of  the  North 
American  savages,  who  are  known  to  have  exposed 
the  bodies  of  their  diseased  relatives  on  scaffolds 
in  the  air,  until  all  the  fleshy  parts  were  decayed 
and  dissipated,  when   the  bones  were   carefully 
collected,   and  funeral  obsequies  performed,  at- 
tended by  the  most  extravagant  demonstrations  of 
grief.     This  explanation  obviates  the  shortness  of 
the  graves,  but  is  opposed  by  the  relative  length 
of  the  leg  bones,  compared  with  anatomies  of  the 
present  day.     That  all  these  graves,   which  are 
very  numerous,  were  the  repositories  of  deceased 
children,  and  young  persons,  would  also  be  con- 
clusive, did  not  the  teeth  found  indicate  persons 
arrived  at  the  age  of  manhood.  None  of  the  graves 
exceed  four  feet  in  length. 

An  antique  Indian  grave  opened  on  the  banks 
of  Big  River,  about  30  miles  east  of  the  Merrimack, 
produced  a  skeleton,  which  was  estimated  to  have 
a  stature  of  eight  feet.  It  was  accompanied  by 
pottery,  pipes,  and  glass  beads. 

Those  mounds  which  extend  in  so  remarkable 
a  manner  along  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  and  its  tri- 
butaries, are  also  to  be  traced  up  the  Mississippi, 
and  are  very   numerous  on   the  American  hottom. 


no 

and  at  St.  Louis.  Those  in  the  vicinity  of  St; 
Louis  appear  to  have  been  constructed  for  obser- 
vation and  defence.  They  are  very  large,  and 
rise  to  a  great  height,  overlooking  a  very  exten- 
sive tract  of  the  surrounding  country. 

In  descending  White  River,  during  the  winter  of 
1819,  1  procured,  at  a  place  called  the  Bull  Shoals. 
specimens  of  an  antique  malleable  alloy,  which 
appears  to  consist  of  lead  and  silver.  They  were 
found  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  about  i  5  feet  be- 
low the  soil,  which  is  alluvial,  and  accompanied 
by  fragments  of  antique  pottery.  Ancient  stone 
axes,  made  from  porphyry,  are  sometimes  found  in 
digging  wells,  mill-dams,  &c.  in  several  parts  of 
the  Territory;  and  the  hornstone  dart  is  not  un- 
common. 

Among  those  objects  in  the  physical  appearance 
of  this  country,  which  may  be  looked  upon  as  na- 
tural curiosities,  are  several  caves  which  yield 
nitre,  and  a  detached  mass  of  granite  15  or  20 
miles  in  length,  by  about  5  or  6  in  width.  This 
geological  phenomenon  occurs  in  the  south  part  of 
Washington  County,  including  a  part  of  Madison 
County.  It  contains,  imbedded  in  it,  or  lying  upon 
its  surface,  gneiss,  greenstone,  porphyry,  iron  ores, 
and  pyrites,  blende,  and  quartz ;  and  may,  by  a 
careful  investigation,  be  found  to  yield  other  sub* 
stances.  It  is  a  compact  red  granite,  containing 
very  little  mica,  and  is  used  for  mill  stones.  It  is 
the  only  mass  of  granite  known  to  exist  between 
the  primitive  ranges  of  the  Alleghany  and  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  is  surrounded  on  all  sides,   and  to* 


171 

an  almost  immeasurable  extent,  with  secondary 
limestone. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Merrimack  and  the  Gasco- 
nade are  found  numerous  caves,  which  yield  an 
earth  impregnated  largely  with  nitre,  which  is 
procured  from  it  by  lixiviation.  On  the  head  of 
Currents  River  are  also  found  several  caves,  from 
which  nitre  is  procured,  the  principal  of  which  is 
Ashley's  Cave,  on  Cave  Creek,  about  80  miles  S.  W. 
of  Potosi.  This  is  one  of  those  stupendous  and 
extensive  caverns  which  cannot  be  viewed  without 
exciting  our  wonder  and  astonishment ;  which  is 
increased  by  beholding  the  entire  works  for  the 
manufacture  of  nitre,  situated  in  its  interior.  The 
native  nitrate  of  potash  is  found  in  beautiful  white 
crystals,  investing  the  fissures  of  the  limestone 
rock,  which  forms  the  walls  of  this  cave ;  and 
several  others  in  its  vicinity  exhibit  the  same  phe- 
nomenon. 

7.  Employments,  Manners,  Language,  and  Reli- 
gion of  the  Inhabitants.  Of  the  number  of  inhabi- 
tants now  resident  in  the  Territory,  1  have  esti- 
mated eleven  hundred  to  be  engaged  in  mining. 
but  the  number  has  been  much  greater  at  a  former 
period,  one  thousand  men  having  been  employed 
at  Mine  a  Burton  alone.  The  residue  of  the  popu- 
lation are  farmers,  mechanics,  and  manufacturers, 
including  professional  men.  There  is  also  another 
class  of  society,  which  i  shall  notice  under  the 
name  of  hunters.  The  farming  class  is  by  far  the 
largest;  as  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  the  advan- 
tages of  procuring  lands  on  easy  terms,  and  in  a 
mild  climate,  afford  the  strongest  and  surest  pros* 


172 

pects  of  gain  to  the  emigrant.  There  are  probably 
fewer  mechanics  than  is  required  by  the  existing 
population,  and  of  this  number  a  great  proportion 
may  be  considered  persons  who  lack  industry,  or 
do  not  excel  in  their  particular  trades.  The  wages 
of  mechanics  of  all  kinds  are  very  high,  and  a 
scarcity  of  this  class  is  generally  felt  in  the  Terri- 
tory, and  particularly  in  the  new  settlements.  A 
carpenter,  or  a  bricklayer,  cannot  be  hired  to 
work  short  of  $2  per  day,  but  are  often  known  to 
receive  more.  Other  mechanics  are  also  in  de- 
mand, and  an  opportunity  is  presented,  by  the 
rapidly  increasing  settlements,  for  good,  industri- 
ous mechanics,  from  all  parts,  who  cannot  fail  to 
meet  with  due  encouragement  and  success. 

Its  manufactures,  in  addition  to  its  grand  staple* 
Lead,  consist  in  the  distillation  of  whiskey  from 
rye  and  corn,  in  the  flouring  of  wheat,  the  fabrica- 
tion of  coarse  cotton  goods,  and  tow  cloth  in  pri- 
vate families,  and  of  patent  shot,  three  manufacto- 
ries of  which  are  established  in  Jefferson  County. 
Some  white  lead  has  been  made  at  St.  Louis,  and 
boards  and  plank  for  building,  are  sawed  on  the 
Gasconade,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  Territory. 
A  clothier's  and  fullers  works  have  been  recently 
established  on  Big  River,  and  a  number  of  tan 
yards,  where  raw  hides  are  manufactured  into 
leather,  are  distributed  in  various  sections  of  the 
country. 

Made  up  of  emigrants  from   all  other  parts  of 
the  United  States,  and  from  Europe,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  this  Territory  can  hardly  be  said  to  have 
acquired   a   uniform   character.      Hospitality    to 


173 

strangers,  enterprise  in  business,  ardour  in   the 
pursuit  of  wealth,  an   elevated  pride  of  country, 
and   perseverance,  under  the  pressure  of  many 
difficulties  growing  out  of  the  infant  state  of  settle- 
ments, are  the  most  conspicuous  traits  in  the  cha- 
racter of  the  inhabitants  west  of  the  Mississippi. 
They  are  robust,  frank,  and   daring.     Taught  by 
the  hardships  and  dangers  incident  to  a  frontier 
settlement,  to  depend  for  security  and  success  up- 
on their  own  individual  exertions,  they  rely  little 
upon   extraneous  help,  and  feel  that  true  inde- 
pendence, flowing  from  a  conviction  that   their 
own  physical  exertions  arc  equal  to  every  call, 
necessity,  and  emergency  of  life.     Observations 
drawn  from  habitual  intercourse,   and   from  wit- 
nessing their  public  debates,  would   also  lead  us 
to  conclude,  that  their  enjoyments  arise  more  from 
those  active  and  tumultuous  scenes  attendant  upon 
war  and  adventures,  which  require  corporeal  ex- 
ertion, than  from  the  arts  of  peace,  refinement,  and 
intellectual  research.     Hence  their  manners,  con- 
trasted with  the  inhabitants  east  of  the  Alleghany, 
may  be  said  to  be  essentially  different,  and  while 
in  their  extremes,  we  see  the  former  verge  towards 
the  bold  and  the  intrepid,  the  latter  has  a  tenden- 
cy towards  effeminacy. 

Duelling  is  prevalent  in  Missouri,  and  while  the 
practice  continues  to  receive  the  sanction  of  men 
occupying  the  first  rank  in  society,  it  cannot  be 
expected  to  fall  into  disrepute;  but  must, on  the  con- 
trary, continue  to  extend  its. baneful  influence  over 
other  classes  of  community,  and  to  involve  in  some 


174 

measure,  those  in  its  consequences,  who  are  prin- 
cipled to  oppose  it. 

Those  scenes  of  riot  and  atrocity,  however, 
which  have  been  imputed  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  mines,  by  former  travellers,  do  not  now  exist; 
the  most  beneficial  changes  having  been  effected 
in  the  state  of  society,  in  that  country.  Emigra- 
tion has  added  to  the  former  population  an  acces- 
sion of  talents  and  intelligence,  which  has  served 
to  mark  the  society  at  the  mines,  with  much  of 
the  hospitality,  decorum,  and  refinements  of  life. 

The  first  inhabitants  of  this  part  of  ancient  Lou- 
isiana, were  French  and  Spanish  ;  the  former  of 
whom  still  constitute  a  considerable  proportion  of 
the  population,  but  of  the  latter,  there  are  very 
few  remaining.  The  French  language  is  therefore 
spoken  in  many  settlements,  almost  exclusively, 
and  many  of  the  Americans  have  found  it  advan- 
tageous to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  that  tongue. 

The  most  prevalent  religion  is  Methodism.  The 
French  are  uniformly  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  They  have  public  churches  at 
St.  Louis,  St.  Charles,  St.  Genevieve,  Carondolet, 
Florrissant,  and  other  places.  The  Baptists  are 
also  numerous, and  the  recentemigrationhas  added 
a  considerable  number  of  Presbyterians  and  Epis- 
copalians, but  the  latter  have  not,  so  far  as  my  ob- 
servation extends,  any  houses  for  public  worship. 

The  hunter  population  in  the  territory,  presents 
a  state  of  society  of  which  few  have  any  just  con- 
ception, and  of  which,  indeed,  I  confess  myself  to 
have  been  wholly  ignorant,  previous  to  my  tour 
through    those  regions  where   they  are   located. 


175 

Composed  of  the  unruly  and  the  vicious  from  all 
quarters,  insulated  by  a  pathless  wilderness,  with- 
out the  pale  of  civil  law,  or   the  restraints  upon 
manners  and  actions  imposed   by  refined  society, 
this  population  are  an   extraordinary  instance  of 
the  retrogression  of  society.     So  far  as  is  not  ne- 
cessary for  animal  existence,  they  have  abandon- 
ed the   pursuit  of  agriculture,   the  foundation  of 
civil  society,  and  embraced  the  pursuit  of  hunting, 
so  characteristic  of  the  savage  state  in  all  countries. 
This  society  is  composed  of  persons  from  vari- 
ous sections  of  the  Union,  who  have  either  embra- 
ced hunting  from  the  love  of  ease  or  singularity, 
or  have  fled  from  society  to  escape  the  severity  of 
the  laws,  and  to  indulge  in   unrestrained  passion. 
Learning  and  religion  are  alike  disregarded,  and 
in  the  existing  state  of  society  among  the  Missouri 
hunters,  we  are  presented  with  a  contradiction  of 
the  theories  of  philosophers  of  all  ages,  for  we  here 
behold  the  deseendants  of  enlightened  Europeans  in  a  sa- 
vage stale,  or  at  least  in  a  rapid  state  of  advance  to- 
wards it.     These  hunters  are  chiefly  located    on 
White  River,  Arkansaw,  and  Red  River.     Their 
numbers  may  be  computed  at  1000  or  1500.     The 
late  division  of  territory  will  throw  them  nearly  all 
into  Arkansaw. 

VIII.  Savages.  The  principal  tribe  of  Indians 
in  this  territory  are  the  Osages,  a  powerful  nation 
residing  on  the  Osage  river.  They  are  remarka- 
ble for  their  tall  stature,  and  their  fine  proportions. 
It  is  very  rare  to  see  any  of  them  under  six  (cct. 
They  inhabit  a  delightful  country,  and  are  in  ami- 
ty with  the  United  States.     Thp  rhiols  are  heredi- 


J  76 

tary,  and  in  war  they  fight  on  horseback.  Their 
warriors  are  called  braves,  to  which  honour  no  one 
can  arrive,  without  having  previously  plundered 
or  stolen  from  the  enemy.  Hence  plundering  and 
stealing  are  acts  of  the  greatest  merit,  and  demand 
rewards  proportionate  to  the  adroitness  or  the  ex- 
tent of  the  act.  They  are  also  in  the  habit  of  plun- 
dering white  hunters,  and  travellers,  but  are  never 
known  to  commit  murders  on  such  occasions. 

A  part  of  the  ancient,  and  once  powerful  tribes 
of  Shawanees  and  Delawares,  also  inhabit  this 
territory.  They  are  located  on  the  banks  of  Apple 
Creek,  and  Fourche  a  Courtois. 

IX.  Slavery.  Many  of  the  plantations  and  mines 
are  worked  by  slaves,  and  among  them  are  to  be 
found  blacksmiths  and  carpenters,  whose  services 
are  extremely  valuable  to  their  masters.  The  in- 
troduction of  slavery  into  this  section  of  the  wes- 
tern country,  appears  to  have  taken  place  at  an 
early  day,  and  it  has  led  to  a  state  of  society 
which  is  calculated  to  require  their  continued  as- 
sistance. 


ARTICLE  II. 


A  CATALOGUE  OF  THE  MINERALS  AND  FOSSILS 


OF   THE 


WESTERN  COUNTRY, 


1.     Earthy  Substances. 


Sub. 

Chalk, 1 

Flint,   2 

Horastone, 3 

Rock  Crystal,    4 

Novaculite, 5 

Common  Quartz,    6 

Citrine, 7 

Radiated  Quartz,    ........   8 

Red  Ferruginous  Quartz,  . .  9 

Granular  Quartz,    10 

Tabular  Quartz, 11 

Hoary  Quartz,    12 

Steatite, .13 

Mica, 14 

Chalcedony, ,24 

Reddle, 36 

Yellow  Earth, 37 

Opalized  Wood, 38 

Agaric  Mineral,     30 

Plastic  White  Clay,   40 

Fuller's  Earth, 41 

23 


Sub. 

Stalactite,    43 

Stalagmite, 44 

Puddingstone, 45 

Opal,   46 

Jasper,    47 

Agatized  Wood, 48 

Carnelian, 49 

Sulphate  of  Lime,   57 

Sulphate  of  Bary  tes, 15 

Fluate  of  Lime, 17 

Feldspar,     18 

Calcareous  Spar,     16 

Basanite, .  . '  0 

Buhrstone, 67 

Onyx  Agate, 65 

Greenstone  Porphyry,    ....  61 

Schorl,     62 

Ochre, 63 

Agate, 64 

Shale, «... 66 


178 


2.     Metallic  Substances. 


Sub. 

NatiVe  Iron,   69 

Sulphuret  of  Lead, .27 

Sulphuret  of  Zinc, "30 

Red  Oxyd  of  Iron, 26 

Iron  Sand, 25 

Brown  Hematite,    21 

Native  Magnet, 20 

Argillaceous  Oxyd  of  Iron,  22 
Micaceous  Oxyd  of  Iron,  .  .23 


Sub* 
Iron  Pyrites, 19 

Granular  Sulphuret  of  Lead,  28 
Earthy  Oxyd  of  Lead    ...  .29 

Carbonate  of  Lead,    33 

Sulphuret  of  Antimony, ...  .31 
Black  Oxyd  of  Manganese,  35 

Native  copper,    32 

Suiohateof  Zinc,    53 

Sulphate  of  Copper, 54 


3. 


Nitrate  of  Potash, 
Muriate  of  Soda, 


Saline  Substances. 

Sub.  Sub. 
. . .  .52  Sulphate  of  Magnesia,  ...  .68 
. . .  .51    Native  Alum, 34 


4.    Inflammable  and  Miscellaneous  Substances. 


Sub. 

Sulphur, 51 

Stone  Coal, 56 

Hydrogen, •  «68 


Sub. 

Pumice, 59 

Madrepore, .42 

Graphite,    5§ 


A  CATALOGUE 


OF 


WESTERN  MINERALS. 


J .     Chalk. 

This  mineral  is  found  in  great  abundance  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river,  in  Cape  Girar- 
deau county,  Missouri  Territory.  The  traveller 
on  ascending  the  Mississippi  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Ohio,  passes  through  a  country  of  al- 
luvial formation,  until  he  reaches  the  head  of  Tya- 
wapety  Bottom,  a  distance  of  thirty-five  miles. 
Here  the  first  high  land  presents  itself  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  river,  in  a  moderately  elevated  ridge, 
running  from  S.  E.  to  N.  W.  and  terminating  ab- 
ruptly in  the  bank  of  the  river,  which  here  runs 
nearly  at  right  angles  with  the  ridge,  and 
has  been  worn  away  by  the  action  of  the  water. 
This  ridge  consists  of  secondary  limestone, 
overlaying  a  coarse  reddish  sandstone,  and  which 
at  the  lowest  stages  of  the  water  in  summer,  is  seen 
in  huge  mis-shapen  fragments,  at  the  immediate 
edge  of  the  water,  and  at  intervals  nearly  half  way 
across  the  river,  as  well  as  on  the  Illinois  shore. 
It  opposes  a  difficulty  in  navigating  the  river  in 
low  water  with  keel  boats,  and  is  known  among 
boatmen  as  the  Little  Cham  of  Rocks.  At  this  place 
several  beds  of  chalk  are  seen  breaking  out  of  the 


180 

hill  side,  a  few  feet  above  the  water,  and  the  bank 
of  the  river  is  strongly  characterized  with  chalk  for 
a  quarter  of  a  mile,  in  the  course  of  which  several 
pits  have  been  opened,  and  chalk  procured  for  the 
purposes  01  commerce,  so  that  it  is  probable  one 
continuous  bed  extends  for  all  that  distance.  Per- 
vading the  chalk,  are  found  thin  strata  of  flint,  from 
one  to  three  inches  in  thickness,  and  occasionally 
nodules    of  pure  black   gun   flint,  enveloped  by 
chalk,  are  also  found.     The  chalk  appears  to  be 
of  a  very  fine  quality,  and  considerable  quantities 
are  annually  taken  away  by  traders,  and  sold  in  the 
interior  of  Missouri   and  along  the  Ohio  to  car- 
penters and  others,  who  make  no  complaints  of  its 
quality.     Indeed,  it  appears  to  me  on  a  compari- 
son, to  be  fully  equal  to   the  foreign   chalk.     It 
breaks  out  in  masses  which  possess  the  compact- 
ness of  the  hardest  chalk,  has  an  earthy  fracture,  a 
smooth  feel,  and  rubs  offwith  ease, leaving  a  smooth 
white  trace  on  wood  or  pa  per.  Chalk  also  occurs  two 
miles  below  the  Grand  Tower,  on  the  wrest  bank  of 
the  Mississippi  river,  Cape  Girardeau  county,  but 
no  attempts  appear  to  have  been  made  to  open  the 
bed,  and  I  can  neither  speak  of  its  extent  or  quali- 
ty.    This  is  directly  opposite  the  mouth  of  Great 
Muddie  River,  a  considerable  stream  of  Illinois. 

2.  Flint. 
Imbedded  in  the  chalk  of  Cape  Girardeau,  are 
occasionally  found  nodules  of  flint,  which  are  en- 
veloped by  a  hard  crust  of  calcareous  carbonate, 
arranged  in  concentric  layers.  Its  colour  is  grayish 
black,  breaks  with  a  perfectly  conchoidal  fracture, 
is  translucent  on  the  edges,  and  readily  gives  fire 
with  steel.     It  will  probably  be  found  in  quantity 


181 

tvhen  the  chalk  is  properly  explored,  but  is  at  pre- 
sent sparingly  dispersed.  Strata  of  flint  from  one 
to  three  inches  in  thickness  are  also  found  alter- 
nately with  chalk,  but  it  is  not  of  so  pure  a  quali- 
ty, and  does  not  scintillate  so  plentifully  as  the 
nodular  flint. 

Flint  is  also  found  near  the  head  of  Bear  Creek, 
a  stream  running  into  White  River  nine  hundred 
miles  above  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi,  in 
Arkansaw  Territory.  It  is  here  found  in  nodules 
of  considerable  size,  which  break  with  a  conchoi- 
dal  fracture,  are  translucent,  of  a  yellowish  brown 
colour,  and  emit  sparks  very  readily.  The  hun- 
ters in  that  region  make  use  of  no  other  flints,  and 
they  possess  the  art  of  chipping  them  out,  which  is 
effected  with  great  ease.  I  have  not  viewed  this 
mineral  in  situ — and  know  not  its  geognostic  rela- 
tions. Hunters,  however,  report  that  it  is  found 
near  limestone  rock,  and  occurs  in  sufficient  quan- 
tity to  be  worth  exploring. 

3.     Hornstonc. 

This  subspecies  of  quartz,  is  found  imbedded  in 
globular  and  elliptical  masses  in  secondary  lime- 
stone, at  various  places  on  the  west,  or  Missouri 
bank  of  the  Mississippi,  between  Cape  Girra- 
deau  and  St.  Louis.  It  may  be  particularly  no- 
ticed at  the  Grand  Tower  and  Hanging  Dog,  and  it 
is  strewed  in  detached  fragments  over  the  uplands 
of  Cape  Girardeau,  St.  Genevieve,  Madison,  Jeffer- 
son, Washington,  Lawrence,  and  St.  Louis  coun- 
ties. Indeed,  so  far  as  obervation  goes,  it  charac- 
terizes all  the  district  of  country  between  the  west 
banks  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  the  #reat  prai- 


182 

ries  and  sand  deserts  at  the  foot  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. Its  colour  is  generally  brown,  with  different 
shades  of  yellow,  black,  blue,  or  red.  It  appears 
nearly  allied  to  flint,  into  which  it  is  sometimes 
seen  passing.  It  runs  also  into  varieties  of  jasper, 
chalcedony,  and  common  quartz,  and  the  different 
gradations  from  well  characterized  hornstone,  un- 
til its  distinctive  characters  are  lost  in  other  sub- 
species of  quartz,  may  be  distinctly  marked.  The 
barbs  for  Indian  arrows,  frequently  found  in  this  re- 
gion, appear  to  have  been  chiefly  made  of  horn- 
stone.  This  mineral  is  also  found  in  irregular 
rounded  masses,  imbedded  in  secondary  limestone, 
at  the  Great  Chain  of  Rocks,  Cape  Girardeau  coun- 
ty, Missouri,  and  at  Choteau's  mills  in  the  vicinity 
of  St.  Louis. 

4.  Rock  Crystal. 
One  of  the  most  noted  localities  of  this  mineral 
west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  is  the  Hot  Springs  of 
Ouachitta,  (Washitaw,)  in  Arkansaw  Territory. 
At  this  place  numerous  pieces  of  quartz  have  been 
found,  very  pure  and  transparent,  and  beautifully 
crystallized  in  six  sided  prisms,  terminated  by  six 
sided  pyramids.  The  crystals  are  found  detached, 
or  adhering  to  the  rock,  and  from  half  an  inch  to 
three  inches  in  length.  These  springs  which  pre- 
sent one  of  the  most  remarkable  phenomenon  in 
the  western  countrv,  both  on  account  of  the  heat 
of  their  waters,  and  the  variety  of  minerals  found 
in  their  vicinity,  are  situated  on  Hot  Spring 
Creek,  a  branch  of  Washitaw  river,  and  six  miles 
west  of  the  main  road  from  Cadron  to  Mount  Prai- 
rie, on  Red  River.     According  to   the  late  divi- 


183 

sion,  they  are  in  Clark  county,  Arkansaw  Terri- 
tory. 


5. 


NovacvMte. 


A  quarry  of  this  mineral,  three  miles  above  the 
Hot  Springs  of  Washitaw,  has  often  been  noticed  by 
travellers  for  its  extent  and  excellency  of  its  quali- 
ty. A  specimen  now  before  me,  is  of  a  grayish 
white  colour,  partaking  a  little  of  green,  translu- 
cent in  an  uncommon  degree,  with  an  uneven  and 
moderately  glimmering  fracture,  and  susceptible 
of  being  scratched  by  a  knife.  Oil  stones  for  the 
purpose  of  honing  knives,  razors,  and  carpenters' 
tools,  are  occasionally  procured  from  this  place, 
and  considerable  quantities  have  been  lately  taken 
to  New-Orleans.  It  gives  a  fine  edge,  and  is  consi- 
dered equal  to  the  Turkish  oil  stone.  It  appears 
to  me,  from  external  character,  to  contain  less 
alumine,  and  more  silex  than  the  common  novacu- 
lite,  and  hence,  perhaps,  its  superiority. 
6.     Common  Quartz. 

This  mineral  is  found  in  veins  of  from  one  to 
eight  or  ten  feet  wide  in  the  argillaceous  rock  for- 
mation, in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Hot  Springs 
of  Washitaw.  It  is  also  seen  in  very  large  masses 
on  the  south  bank  of  White  River,  immediately 
opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Great  North  Fork  of 
White  River,  or  what  is  called  on  Robinson's  new 
map,  Pine  River.  The  character  of  these  rocks 
will  not  be  recognised  on  a  superficial  view,  for 
they  have  a  gray  time-worn  appearance,  and  are 
so  much  covered  by  moss,  that  it  was  not  until  I 
had  broken  off  a  fragment  with  a  hammer,  that  I 
discovered  them  to  be  white  quartz.    Pebbles  of 


184 

quartz,  either  white  or  variously  coloured  by  iron, 
are  common  on  the  shores  of  White  River,  and 
joined  to  the  purity  and  transparency  of  the  wa- 
ters, add  greatly  to  the  pleasure  of  a  voyage  on 
that  beautiful  river.  Quartz  pebbles  are  also  very 
abundantly  dispersed  along  the  banks  of  Allegha- 
ny River,  from  Olean  to  Pittsburgh,  a  distance  of 
three  hundred  miles. 

7.  Citrine,  or  Yellow  Quarts. 
Water-worn  fragments  of  limpid  quartz  of  a 
fellow  colour,  and  possessing  a  high  lustre  and 
great  hardness,  are  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, at  various  places  between  Cape  Girar- 
deau and  St.  Louis.  I  have  many  specimens  pick- 
ed up  near  St.  Genevieve,  Herculaneum,  and  St. 
Louis.  The  colour  varies  from  a  light  orange 
yellow,  to  a  brandy  red.  They  are  manifestly 
brought  down  by  the  annual  floods  of  the  river, 
and  are  probably  the  production  of  the  Mississippi 
above  its  junction  with  the  Missouri,  but  of  their 
geological  situation,  nothing  is  known.  Their 
extreme  hardness  is  one  of  their  most  distinguish- 
ing properties.  I  have  applied  the  term  Missouri 
Topaz  in  common  conversation. 

8.  Radiated  Quartz. 
This  variety  is  very  common  at  the  lead  mines 
of  Missouri,  and  is  particularly  abundant  in 
Washington  County,  where  it  is  known  under  the 
popular  name  of  mineral  blossom.  It  was  supposed 
by  the  lead  smelters  to  have  a  strong  affinity  for 
lead,  but  is  not  much  attended  to  as  a  sign  in 
searching  for  lead  at  the  present  time.  It  occurs 
in  detached  pieces  on  the  top  of  the  soil,  and  at 


J  85 

ml  depths  below,  and  is  sometimes  attached  Xq 
rock.  Its  form  is  generally  that  of  a  hemisphere- 
consisting  of  minute  layers  of  chalcedony,  covered 
by  pyramids  of  quartz,  all  radiating  from  a  common 
centre.  Sometimes  it  is  mammillary.  The  speci- 
mens are  strewed  with  more  or  less  profusion  over 
every  hill  in  the  mine  tract,  and  when  found  in 
their  pristine  state,  are  extremely  brilliant  and 
beautiful. 

9.     Red  Ferruginous  Quartz. 

Detached  fragments  and  rolled  masses  of  a  very 
deep  red  quartz,  resembling  some  varieties  of  jas- 
per, are  found  on  several  of  the  tributary  streams 
of  Merrimack  River,  Missouri  Territory.  They 
possess  a  flinty  hardness,  and  a  high  vitreous  lustre, 
are  perfectly  opaque,  and  appear  to  be  quartz  co- 
loured by,  and  combined  with  iron.  Mine  a  Bur- 
ton Creek,  in  Washington  County,  affords  good 
specimens. 

10.     Granular  Quartz. 

Few  persons  have  travelled  from  St.  Genevieve 
to  the  Lead  mines  in  Missouri,  without  noticing  the 
remarkable  bodies  of  white  sand-stone  found  eight 
miles  from  St.  Genevieve,  on  the  road  to  Potosi, 
This  is  granular  quartz,  of  a  beautiful  appearance, 
easily  crushed  between  the  fingers,  and  falling  into 
a  very  fine  even-grained,  transparent,  quartzose 
sand.  It  possesses  no  definable  tint  of  colour,  is 
not  acted  upon  by  either  the  nitric  or  muriatic 
acids,  and  appears  to  be  an  aggregation  of  minute 
crystals  of  quartz.  It  occurs  in  several  caves  near 
the  road,  whose  sides  are  entirely  composed  of  it, 
and  its  snowy  hue,  and  granular  structure  give  it 

24 


18G 

the  appearance  of  refined  sugar.  It  appears  u 
me  to  be  composed  ofdkx  nearly  or  quite  pure,  and 
possesses,  as  I  rind  on  a  treatment  with  potash, 
the  property  of  easy  fusibility,  a  very  essential  re- 
quisite in  the  manufacture  of  glass.  A  mixture  of 
one  part  of  potash  to  two  of  sand,  enters  readily 
into  fusion  in  a  smith's  forge,  producing  a  well 
melted  glass,  of  considerable  density,  purity,  and 
lustre.  In  glass  making,  sand  is  the  chief  ingre- 
dient. It  is  melted  in  a  high  heat  with  potash, 
salts,  and  lime,  which  act  as  a  flux  to  the  sand,  and 
render  the  mixture  fusible  and  transparent.  But 
it  is  not  every  sand  which  will  answer,  though  it 
may  be  very  fine,  and  apparently  possess  the  pro- 
perty of  easy  fusibility.  Nor  is  a  sand  which  is 
proper  in  the  manufacture  of  window  glass,  adapt- 
ed for  flint  glass,  which  requires  a  sand  of  greater 
purity.  Hence  it  becomes  an  object  of  the  first 
moment,  when  the  establishment  of  a  glass  works 
has  been  determined  upon,  to  find  a  sand,  or  other 
silicious  ingredient  possessing  the  properties  ne- 
cessary to  the  easy  and  ready  production  of  the 
required  article.  It  is  not  only  necessary  that  it 
should  be  capable  of  produc'mg  glass  of  the  desired 
purity,  but  also  that  it  shall  produce  it  in  a  stipu- 
lated time,  and  at  a  stipulated  expense.  For 
where  it  not  necessary  that  the  manufacture  should 
be  carried  on  to  a  profit,  common  quartz,  pebbles, 
flint,  and  any  other  stones  in  which  silex  predomi- 
nates, might  be  converted  into  glass  •  for  the  ulti- 
mate result  of  all  ingredients  wrought  by  fire  is 
glass.  But  sand  capable  of  easy  vitrification,  and 
of  being  advantageously  converted  into  glass,  is 


tjy  no  means  a  common  production.  Such  a  sand, 
generally  speaking,  should  consist  of  fine  grains 
of  transparent  quartz,  of  a  uniform  size,  neither 
too  fine  or  too  coarse,  without  any  perceptible 
shade  of  colour,  and  susceptible  of  ready  fusion 
with  potash.  It  should  not  be  contaminated  by 
lime,  iron,  or  any  other  earthy  or  metallic  sub- 
stance. When  iron  exists  in  combination  with 
sands,  the  colour  inclines  to  green,  which  will  be 
intense  or  light  exactly  in  proportion  to  the 
quantum  of  iron  present.  The  presence  of  lime 
may  be  detected  by  submitting  the  sand  after 
washing  to  the  nitric  or  muriatic  acids.  If  an 
effervescence  takes  place,  you  may  conclude  lime 
is  one  of  the  constituent  ingredients.  No  sand  is 
fit  for  glass  which  will  effervesce  with  any  of  the 
acids,  the  fluoric  excepted.  In  the  manufacture  of 
common  window  glass,  technically  called  cylinder 
glass  in  the  United  States,  sands  are  frequently 
employed  which  are  largely  impregnated  with  iron, 
which  is  nowise  detrimental  where  the  colour  of 
the  ware  is  not  regarded,  but  on  the  contrary  bene- 
ficial, for  the  iron  which  exists  in  the  state  of  an 
oxyd  in  combination  with  the  sand  operates  as  a 
flux  to  the  silex,  and  promotes  a  more  perfect  and 
speedy  vitrification.  The  common  yellow  and 
reddish  sands,  which  occur  in  almost  every  town 
and  county  in  the  Union,  and  are  used  in  the  ma- 
nufacture of  bricks  and  mortar,  and  cements,  are 
wholly  unfit  for  glass.  They  are  largely  charged 
with  alumine,  besides  iron,  lime,  and  various  other 
impurities,  which  communicate  different  hues  of 
green,  brown,  and  black,  to  the   mixture,   that 


188 

cannot  be  removed  in  the  ordinary  way  by  the 
addition  of  manganese.  Such  sands  are  only  em- 
ployed in  the  coarsest  branch  of  the  art,  namely,, 
the  making  of  Black  Bottles. 

The  choice  of  proper  glass-sands  becomes  there- 
fore an  object  of  first  moment,  and  their  localities 
deserve  to  be  particularly  noticed  in  the  catalogue 
of  useful  minerals  afforded  by  the  United  States. 
I  know  of  but  three  localities  in  the  Union,  in  ad- 
dition to  this,  where  the  silicious  ingredient  of  flint 
glass  is  furnished.  The  first  is  in  Lanesborough, 
Massachusetts ;  the  second  on  the  banks  of  Mau- 
rice River,  New-Jersey ;  and  the  third  at  Perry 
opolis,  on  the  Youghagany  River,  twenty-three 
tniles  above  Pittsburgh,  in  Pennsylvania. 
1 1 .     Tabular  Quartz. 

The  shores  of  the  Mississippi  River  afford  a 
silicious  mineral  of  singular  character,  in  the  form 
of  small  irregular  shaped  detached  plates.  Its 
common  colour  is  grayish  white,  from  which  it 
passes  into  bluish  white,  milk  white,  and  pale  yel- 
low. It  possesses,  in  some  specimens,  the  hard- 
ness and  translucency  of  cacholong  and  chalce- 
dony, to  which  it  seems  nearly  allied;  while  in 
other  specimens  it  resembles  certain  varieties  of 
white  carnelian.  I  have  numerous  specimens, 
picked  up  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi, 
at  Herculaneum.  Some  of  these  would  lead  us  to 
suppose,  that  their  tabular  form  had  been  pro- 
duced by  being  poured  out  in  a  state  of  fluidity  on 
the  earth,  small  pebbles,  &c.  whose  impress  re- 
mains on  the  under  side. 


189 


12.  Hoary  Quartz. 
Among  the  numerous  pieces  of  radiated  quart* 
brought  from  the  Missouri  Territory,  1  find  two, 
whose  external  characters  are  distinct  from  any  of 
the  varieties  of  quartz  hitherto  described.  This 
distinction  and  difference  of  character  appear? 
chiefly  on  the  exterior  of  the  pyramidal  prisms  of 
which  the  mass  is  composed,  having  the  appear 
nnce  of  being  frosted. 

13.     Steatite.  (Indian  Pipe  Stone.) 

The  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  in  the  Mississippi 
River,  are  remarkable  for  the  bodies  of  steatite 
found  there,   and  from  which  the  savages  are  in 
the  habit  of  making  their  pipes.     Its  colour  is  an 
uniform  dark  red,  it  is  compact,  and   approaches 
in  hardness  to  the  softer  varieties  of  serpentine  ; 
it  is,  however,  easily  sawed  by  a  common  handsaw, 
or  cut  with  a  knife,  when  freshly  quarried,  but 
assumes  considerable  hardness  by  long  exposure. 
It  is  not  hard  enough  to  take  a  polish.     This  was 
called  a  red  serpentine  by  Carver,  who  has  been 
followed  by  Pinkerton  in  his  Geography,   and  by 
Breckenridge  in  his  Views  of  Louisiana,  and  the 
error  has  been  countenanced  by  every  succeeding 
traveller  who  has  spoken  of  it.     It  is  also  found 
near  the  head  of  the  River  Desmoines  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi ;    and   the   St.   Peters,   and    Pipe   Stone 
Rivers  of  the    Missouri.      The  vicinity   of  Fort 
Mason  on  the   Mississippi  also   affords   steatite, 
whose  colours  are  various  shades  of  yellow  and 
green  intermixed. 


14.     Mica. 

This  mineral  is  found  at  the  Hot  Springs  o: 
Washitaw,  Arkansaw  Territory.  The  lamina  are 
small,  extremely  flexible,  of  a  greenish  yellow 
colour,  and  admitting  very  little  light  through 
their  broader  faces. 

15.     Sulphate  of  Barytes.  (Heavy  Spar.) 

Mine  a  Burton,  Old  Mines,  Mine  Shibboleth, 
and  the  numerous  other  mines  in  Washington 
County,  Missouri  Territory,  are  characterized  by 
sulphate  of  barytes.  At  those  mines  it  forms  the 
matrix  of  the  lead  ore,  though  it  is  sometimes 
found  unaccompanied  by  ores  of  any  kind,  and 
the  quantity  which  is  found  at  Potosi  alone  is 
sufficient,  according  to  our  present  ideas  of  its 
uses,  for  the  supply  of  the  whole  world.  It  is 
generally  found  in  compact  or  tabular  masses, 
very  white,  heavy,  and  glistening.  Sometimes 
it  is  crested,  columnar,  prismatic,  or  lamellar; 
and  frequently  the  surfaces  of  the  crystals  are 
yellow,  from  an  ochery  oxyd  of  iron.  All  the 
barytes  which  I  have  observed  in  Missouri  are 
perfectly  opaque. 

16.     Calcareous  Spar. 

This  spar  is  one  of  the  minerals  accompanying 
the  lead  ore  at  several  of  the  lead  mines  in  Wash- 
ington county,  Missouri  Territory.  It  is,  however, 
never  found  in  contact  with  the  ore,  or  serving  as 
a  matrix,  if  we  except  a  little  found  in  this  situation 
at  Bryan's  Mines,  St.  Genevieve  county.  It  is  gener- 
ally found  in  detached  masses  of  irregular  shape 
imbedded  in  the  mineral  soil,  which  is  a  marly  red 
clay,  and  it  invariably  breaks  into  rhombs  whose 


m 

«.no;les  are  more  or  less  acute.  Its  colours  are 
either  white  or  honey  yellow,  it  is  transparent,  and 
some  specimens  possess  the  beauty  and  the  double 
refracting  power  of  the  Iceland  Spar. 

17.     Feldspar. 

Crystals  of  feldspar  are  found  imbedded  in 
greenstone  on  the  banks  of  the  river  St.  Francis, 
at  a  place  called  The  Narrows,  Madison  county, 
Missouri  Territory.  The  colour  of  the  crystals  is 
a  flesh  red,  graduating  into  green  on  the  edges. 
18.     Filiate  of  Lime. 

This  mineral  occurs  at  a  lead  mine  about  three 
aniles  back  of  Cave-in-Rock,  on  the  Ohio  River, 
and  about  fifteen  miles  south  of  Shawneetown. 
Gallatin  county,  Illinois.  Its  colours,  which  are 
very  beautiful,  are  various  shades  of  purple,  violet, 
and  blue.  Some  specimens  are  entirely  limpid. 
It  is  found  accompanied  by  galena,  blende,  pyrites, 
&c.  imbedded  in  a  stiff  red  clay,  resting  on  secon- 
dary limestone.  In  the  same  neighbourhood  coal 
is  found,  and  the  United  States  Saline,  situated  on 
Saline  River,  is  about  twelve  miles  distant.  It  is 
a  highly  interesting  section  of  country,  and  well 
worthy  the  particular  attention  of  the  mineralogist 
and  the  geologist.  Cave-in-Rock,  famous  in  that 
region  for  having  afforded  a  retreat  to  the  bandit 
Mason,  and  his  followers,  is  alone  an  object  of  the 
highest  interest,  and  the  intelligent  traveller  can- 
not fail  to  be  highly  gratified  in  viewing  this  stu- 
pendous work  of  nature.  The  quantity  is  con- 
siderable ;  it  has,  however,  only  been  observed  in 
detached  pieces,  affecting  a  cubical  form,  but  no 
compact  vein  of  it  has  as  yet  been  discovered^ 


i  92 

Little  doubt,  however,  can  remain,  that  a  search 
of  the  ground  in  that  vicinity  would  bring  to  light 
bodies  of  it,  capable  of  being  wrought  into  vases. 
and  other  ornamental  works. 

19.     Iron  Pyrites. 

Unmagnetical  pyrites  of  iron,  of  a  brass  yellow 
colour,  have  been  found  on  the  Fourche  a  Cour- 
tois,  and  Mineral  Fork,  two  of  the  tributary 
streams  of  Merrimack  River,  Missouri  Territory, 
Also  on  White  River,  within  a  hundred  miles  of 
its  source,  where  it  is  attached  to  rock  in  cubical 
crystals,  and  is  reported  to  exist  in  quantity.  I 
possess  good  specimens  from  each  of  those  places, 
that  from  the  Mineral  Fork  is  connected  with  cal- 
careous spar.  New  Diggings,  Mine  a  Burton,  Old 
Mines,  and  Reno's  Mines,  also  yield  pyrites  of  iron, 
sometimes  handsomely  crystallized  in  cubes,  or 
lameller  masses,  and  sometimes  interspersed  with 
blende,  heavy  spar,  and  galena. 

20.     Loadstone.     (Native  Magnet.} 

This  substance  is  found  on  the  banks  of  the 
Washitaw  River,  at  a  place  called  the  Cove,  fifteen 
miles  below  the  Hot  Springs,  in  Clark  county,  Ar- 
kansaw  Territory.  The  quantity  is  represented 
as  very  great,  and  it  possesses  a  strong  magnetic 
power.  At  the  same  place,  other  ores  of  iron  are 
abundant,  also  pyrites,  quartz,  white  vitriol,  &c. 
21.     Brown  Hematite. 

This  ore  of  iron  occurs  along  with  cellular  py- 
rites, and  argillaceous  oxyd  of  iron,  five  miles 
north  of  Strawberry  River,  on  the  main  road  lead- 
ing through  Lawrence  county,  Arkansaw,  (lately 
Missouri)  Territory.  Its  colour  is  a  dark  brown,  and 


193 

its  structure  is  fibrous  and  glittering;  some  of  its 
masses  are  columnar,  stalactitic,  radiated-re- 
niform,  or  tuberose,  and  a  few  tabular  masses  are 
found,  consisting  of  alternate  strata  of  red  and 
brown  hematite. 

22.     Common  Argillaceous  Oxyd  of  Iron. 

This  is  the  ore  which  is  so  abundantly  found  in 
the  independent  coal  formation,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Pittsburgh  in  Pennsylvania,  and  along  the  banks 
of  the  Alleghany  and  Monongahela  Rivers.  It  is 
worked  at  several  furnaces  and  founderies  in  Al- 
leghany, Fayette,  Washington,  and  Armstrong  coun- 
ties, and  brought  down  to  Pittsburgh  by  water,  to 
supply  the  extensive  founderies  of  that  place. 
Brownsville  and  Connelsville,are  particularly  cele- 
brated for  their  iron  furnaces.  Clay  iron  stone  is 
also  the  principal  ore  wrought  atZanesville  on  the 
the  Muskingum,  (Ohio,)  and  on  Brush  Creek,  from 
which  the  foundery  at  Cincinnati  is  supplied. 
23.     Micaceous  Oxyd  of  Iron. 

A  vein  of  this  ore  several  feet  wide,  is  found  in 
red  granite,  on  the  banks  of  the  River  St.  Francis, 
at  the  Narrows,  Madison  county,  Missouri  Territo- 
ry. Its  unusual  appearance  has  for  several  years 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  inhabitants,  who 
have  considered  it  an  ore  containing  silver.  It  is 
situated  four  miles  south  of  the  extensive  lead 
mines  of  La  Motte,  and  in  the  centre  of  a  higrhlv  in- 
teresting  geological  and  mineralogical  section  of 
country.  The  rocks  at  that  place,  are  the  old  red 
granite,  in  mountain  masses,  with  some  veins  of 
greenstone,  greenstone  porphyry,  and  gneiss. 
This  is  the  only  body  of  granite  rock  in  the  inha- 


194 

bited  part  of  Missouri  Territory,  and  exiends  for 
about  twenty  miles,  with  an  average  breadth  of 
six  miles.     Its  course  is  from  S.  E.  to  N.  W. 

This  granitic  range,  terminates  in  very  rough 
and  broken  highlands,  in  the  south  part  of  Belle- 
vue,  Washington  county,  and  serves  as  the  matrix 
or  accompanying  rock  to  some  of  the  most  exten- 
sive and  remarkable  bodies  of  micaceous  iron  ore, 
that  the  globe  contains.  The  most  noted  body  is 
called  the  Iron  Mountain,  where  the  ore  lies  in 
such  quantity,  as  to  form  a  lofty  ridge,  elevated 
from  five  to  six  hundred  feet  above  the  plain,  and 
for  half  a  mile  in  extent.  It  is  a  very  brilliant, 
heavy  ore,  crystallized  in  glittering  lamina.  Some 
specimens  are  either  mixed  with,  or  accompanied 
by  compact  red  oxyd  of  iron  and  quartz.  It  melts 
easily,  yielding  a  very  malleable  iron,  and  a  foun- 
dery  for  working  the  ore,  is  now  in  contemplation. 

24.     Chalcedony. 

The  banks  of  the  Mississippi  river  at  Hercula- 
neum  afford  specimens  of  this  mineral,  which  I 
consider  to  be  well  characterized.  It  is  also  found 
in  abundance  on  the  west  side  of  Establishment 
Creek,  St.  Genevieve  county,  Missouri  Territory, 
where  it  is  seen  passing  into  the  onyx  agate.  Its 
colour  is  a  bluish  white,  which  is  sometimes  ex- 
changed for  milk  white,  yellowish  white,  or  brown- 
ish yellow.  It  is  semi-transparent,  and  strikes  fire 
with  steel.  Some  pieces  exhibit  spots,  zones,  or 
dendrites. 

Chalcedony  is  also  found  at  the  lead  mines  in 
Washington  county,  Missouri,  where  it  serves  as 
the  basis  for  much  of  the  radiated  and  mammillary 
quartz  so  common  there.  The  chalcedony  appears 


195 

in  concentric  layers  of  various  colours,  principally 
bluish  white,  from  which  the  crystals  of  quartz 
have  shot  out.  The  alternating  layers  are  some- 
times yellow,  brown,  or  red. 

25.     Iron  Sand. 

This  ore  of  iron  is  afforded  by  the  banks  of  the 
Arkansaw  River,  near  where  the  main  road  to  Red 
River  crosses.  It  occurs  in  the  aggregated  form. 
Its  colour  is  a  dark  chocolate  brown,  nearly  black, 
and  the  masses  present  small  cavities  filled  with 
a  very  fine  orange  yellow  ochery  oxyd  of  iron. 
2(3.     Red  Oxyd  of  Iron. 

A  fine  red  oxyd  of  iron,  in  the  powdery  state, 
and  mixed  with  small  fragments  of  quartz,  is  found 
in  a  bank  on  Flint  River,  a  small  stream  which  en- 
ters the  Tennessee  above  the  Muscle  Shoals.  The 
inhabitants  employ  it  as  an  ingredient  in  dying.  It 
is  also  found  near  the  head  of  Gasconade  River,  a 
tributary  of  the  Missouri,  and  on  a  journey  into  the 
interior  last  winter,  I  brought  from  thence  speci- 
mens of  a  compact  red  oxyd  of  iron,  of  a  very  high 
colour.  It  is  also  found  very  hard  and  compact 
on  Elk  River,  in  Tennessee,  and  occasionally  ac- 
companying the  micaceous  oxyd  of  iron  of  Belle- 
vue. 

27.     Galena.     Sulphur et  of  Lead. 

The  most  important  locality  of  lead  ore,  which 
the  United  States,  or  the  world  contains,  is  fur- 
nished by  the  metalliferous  limestone  of  Missouri 
Territory,  and  which  breaks  out,  or  has  been  ex- 
plored at  various  places  from  the  banks  of  the  Ar- 
kansaw  to  Prairie  Du  Chien  on  the  Mississippi,  a 
distance,  in  a  direct  line  from  south  to  north,  of 


I9G 

seven  hundred  miles.  On  this  vein,  are  situated 
the  numerous  mines  in  Washington,  St.  Genevieve, 
Madison,  and  Jefferson  counties,  which  form  the 
subject  of  the  preceding  Treatise.  These  mines 
were  first  explored  by  the  renowned  Mississippi 
Company,  A.  D.  1719,  and  have  continued  to  be 
worked  during  the  successive  changes  which  it 
has  experienced  under  the  French,  Spanish,  and 
Americans,  to  the  present  period.  The  number 
of  mines  now  wrought,  is  forty-six,  the  principal  of 
which,  are  Mine  a  Burton,  Mine  Shibboleth,  Mine 
La  Motte,  Riehwoods,  Bryan's  Mines,  and  New 
Diggings ;  and  the  quantity  of  lead  annually  smel- 
ted, is  estimated  at  three  millions  of  pounds.  The 
ore  is  the  common  galena,  with  a  broad  glittering- 
grain,  and  bluish  gray  colour,  and  is  found  accom- 
panied by  sulphate  of  barytes,  blende,  pyrites, 
quartz,  and  calcareous  spar.  It  yields  on  assay 
eighty-two  per  cent,  of  metallic  lead,  and  the 
remainder  is  chiefly  sulphur. 

Galena  is  also  found  at  Prairie  Du  Chien,  five 
hundred  miles  above  St.  Louis,  on  the  Mississippi, 
where  it  is  worked  by  the  savages.  Also  at  Austin's 
Mines,  in  Weythe  county,  Virg. — At  Millersburgh, 
and  Drennon's  Lick,  in  Kentucky. — At  Cave-in- 
Hock,  accompanied  by  fluor  spar,  in  Illinois. — On 
the  Osage,  Strawberry,  St.  Francis,  and  Gascon- 
ade rivers,  in  Missouri. — And  on  White  River,. 
and  the  Arkansaw  River,  in  Arkansaw  Territory. 
28.     Gramdar  SidpJmret  of  Lead. 

This  variety  of  galena  occurs  in  thin  strata  in 
clay,  at  Mine  La  Motte,  Madison  county,  Missouri 
Territory.     It  has  a  lead  gray  colour,  which  gra- 


197 

duates  into  black,  has  a  granular  structure,  some 
of  the  grains  being  splendent,  but  is  generally  dull 
and  earthy,  from  mixture  with  oxyd  of  iron,  and 
green  carbonat  of  copper.  It  is  worked  as  an  ore 
of  lead,  along  with  the  common  galena,  which 
is  the  most  abundant  ore  at  those  mines. 
29.     Earthy  Oxyd  of  Lead. 

At  the  lead  mines  at  Austinville,  in  Weythe 
county,  Virginia,  a  yellow  earthy  oxyd  of  lead  has 
recently  been  found  among  the  rubbish  of  former 
diggings,  which  is  found  to  yield  a  sufficient  quan- 
tity of  metal  to  render  the  smelting  a  work  of  pro- 
fit. From  its  earthy  appearance,  it  had  been 
thrown  out  of  the  mines  among  clay  and  gravel, 
without  attracting  notice.  Its  general  colour  is  a 
brownish  yellow,from  which  it  passes  to  a  clay-red 
greenish  yellow,  or  ash-gray.  Some  of  the  most 
compact  specimens  appear  to  have  a  crystalline 
structure.  Its  appearance  is  generally  that  of  an 
oxyd,  or  earth  deposited  in  strata  from  suspen- 
sion in  water. 

30.     Blende,  Sulphuret  of  Zinc. 

Accompanying  the  lead  ores  of  several  mines  in 
Washington  county,  Missouri  Territory,  is  found  a 
sulphuret  of  zinc,  which  is  the  blackjack  or  mock  lead 
of  miners.  As  instances,  Mine  Reno,  and  Old  Mines, 
may  be  mentioned.  It  is  not  worked  as  an  ore, 
but  when  met  with  in  digging  for  lead,  is  thrown 
by  as  useless. 

31.      Sulphuret  of  Antimony. 

A  piece  of  antimonial  ore  was  picked  up  seve- 
ral years  ago  in  Bellevue,  Washington  county, 
Missouri,  but  no  body  has  yet  been  brought  to 
light.     About  thirty  miles  north  of  Edwardsville, 


198 

in  Illinois,  a  body  of  antimony  was  discovered  bj 
a  volunteer  militiaman  during  the  late  war,  and 
specimens  of  it  were  distributed  to  several  gentle- 
men in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Louis. 
32.     Copper.     (Native.) 

A  mass  of  native  copper  weighing  seven  pounds, 
and  another  weighing  three  pounds,  have  been 
discovered  on  the  highlands  back  of  Harrisonville, 
the  seat  of  justice  for  Monroe  county,  Illinois. 
Some  attempts  have  also  been  made  to  make  a 
discovery  of  copper  ore  at  that  place,  and  a  shaft 
was  sunk  about  forty  feet  deep,  in  the  summer  of 
of  1 8 1 7  ;  but  rainy  weather  commencing  in  the  fall 
of  that  year,  the  shaft  was  abandoned,  and  has  not 
since  been  occupied.  In  digging  that  depth,  a  red 
compact  oxyd  of  iron  and  copper  was  found,  and 
there  is  reason  to  conclude,  that  ores  of  copper 
will  be  found  in  that  neighbourhood.  Native  cop- 
per has  also  been  found  on  Big  Muddie  River,  in 
Illinois. 

Of  the  bodies  of  native  copper  which  exist  on 
the  head  of  the  Mississippi,  and  along  the  shores 
of  Lake  Superior,  I  can  add  nothing,  in  this  place, 
respecting  locality,  riches  or  extent,  which  has 
not  already  been  published.  I  did  not  extend  my 
tour  into  those  regions,  and  do  not  think  I  should 
add  any  thing  to  the  stock  of  useful  information,  by 
communicating  several  reports  which  I  have  from 
hunters  and  traders  on  that  subject. 
33.     Carbonate  of  Lead. 

1  possess  several  specimens  of  carbonat  of  Lead, 
from  Mine  a  Burton,  in  Missouri,  and  Cave-in- 
Rock,  Illinois.     At  the  latter  place  it  occurs  as  a 


199 

crust  upon  galena,  and  is  also  most  frequently  met 
with  in  that  form  at  Mine  a  Burton. 

34.     Alum. 

There  is  a  cave  in  Belle vue,  Washington  Coun- 
ty, Missouri  Territory,  which  yields  alum.  It  is 
found  effloresced. 

35.     Manganese. 

On  travelling  into  the  interior,  six  days' journey 
S.  W.  of  Potosi,  I  found  a  large  body  of  black 
oxyd  of  manganese,  situated  near  the  head  of 
Merrimack  River,  Missouri  Territory.  It  is  ac- 
companied by  ores  of  iron. 

This  ore  of  manganese  is  also  found  on  the  dividing 
ridge  of  land  between  Spring  River  and  the  River 
Eleven-points,  in  Lawrence  County,  Arkansaw 
Territory.  It  is  also  accompanied  by  ores  of  iron, 
is  very  black,  and  soils  the  fingers  like  soot. 
Another  body  of  manganese  occurs  on  Big  Sandy 
River,  ncarGreenupsburgh,  in  Kentucky. 
36.     Reddle.  (Red  Chalk.) 

This  mineral  occurs  in  a  bed  of  considerable 
extent  in  Washington  County,  Missouri.  It  is  soft 
enough  to  take  a  polish  from  the  nail ;  of  a  dark 
red  colour,  and  leaves  a  smooth  red  trace  on 
wood  or  paper. 

37.     Yellow  Earth. 

A  mineral  substance  which  would  readily  be 
mistaken  for  yellow  ochre  (ochery  oxyd  of  iron)  is 
frequently  met  with  in  digging  for  lead  ore  at  the 
Missouri  Lead  mines.  It  appears,  however,  to 
contain  too  much  clay  to  be  considered  as  an  ore 
of  iron,  though  it  is  of  a  beautiful  yellow  colour, 
and  would  probably  prove  useful  as  a  pigment. 


200 

A  similar  substance  is  also  found  near  the  Chalk 
banks  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi  River, 
in  Cape  Girardeau  County,  where  a  kind  of  red 
ochre  is  also  found. 

38.     Opalized  Wood. 

The  banks  of  the  Missouri  and  of  the  Mississip- 
pi afford  a  mineral  substance,  which  appears  to 
have  originated  from  the  penetration  of  silicious 
matter  into  wood,  by  which  process  the  vegetable 
character  has  been  entirely  exchanged  for  the 
mineral.  A  ligneous  origin  is  however  observable. 
It  is  very  hard,  semi-transparent,  and  possesses  the 
colour  of  the  opal.  It  is  accompanied  by  the 
common  agatized  wood  of  the  Missouri,  by  yellow 
quartz,  and  by  chalcedony.  The  pieces  are  com- 
monly small,  and  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram. 
They  are  distributed  very  plentifully  along  the 
shores  of  the  Mississippi,  between  St.  Genevieve 
and  St.  Louis,  Missouri  Territory. 
39.     Jigaric  Mineral. 

A  soft  spongy  substance,  of  a  gray  colour,  and 
boiling  the  fingers,  which  appears  to  be  a  pure 
carbonate  of  lime,  is  found  as  a  sediment  in  a 
spring,  in  St.  Clair  County,  Illinois. 

40.      Plastic  White  Clay. 

In  digging  several  pits  in  search  of  lead  ore  at 
Gray's  Mine,  Jefferson  County,  Missouri,  a  body  of 
white  clay  was  struck  at  the  depth  of  from  8  to  10 
feet,  and  no  ore  was  found  at  those  places,  but  the 
pits  and  diggings  in  that  place  were  abandoned 
in  consequence  of  the  clay  which  covered  a  con- 
siderable area  of  ground  on  the  banks  of  Big 
River,  which  is  one  of  the  principal  tributaries  of 


201 

the  Merrimack.  This  clay  is  snow  white,  has  a 
smooth  soapy  feel,  takes  a  polish  from  the  nail, 
adheres  strongly  to  the  tongue,  becomes  plastic 
by  mixture  with  water,  retains  its  hue  in  the  fire, 
and  is  infusible  in  a  very  high  heat.  I  have  em- 
ployed it  in  crucibles,  in  assays,  where  an  intense 
heat  was  given,  with  discovering  any  other 
signs  of  fusion  but  such  as  are  common  to  the 
best  Hessian  crucibles ;  and  it  is  probable  it  may 
prove  valuable  in  the  manufacture  of  pottery,  and 
particularly  of  glass-house  pots,  which  require  a 
clay  of  the  utmost  purity  and  infusibility. 

Another  bed  of  plastic  white  clay,  which  ap- 
pears to  be  adapted  for  the  manufacture  of  glass- 
house pottery,  is  found  on  the  Muskingum  River, 
at  Zanesville,  Ohio.  It  is  white,  partaking  a  little 
of  blue.  It  has  a  smooth,  soponaceous  feel,  ap- 
pears free  from  sand  or  grit,  adheres  strongly  to 
the  tongue,  and  exhibits  some  other  characters 
which  distinguish  good,  infusible  clay.  A  speci- 
men of  this  mineral  in  my  possession  bears  a  strong- 
resemblance  to  the  clay  of  the  Rhine,  which  is 
brought  over  from  Germany  for  the  same  purpose. 
Yet  the  Zanesville  clay  has  not  been  successfully 
introduced  into  our  western  glass-houses,  although 
those  concerned  in  the  manufacture  feel  sensibly 
the  want  of  a  bed  of  refractory  clay  west  of  the 
Alleghany  mountains,  as  they  are  compelled  to 
pay  very  large  sums  every  year  for  the  transporta- 
tion of  clay  from  Philadelphia.  They  complain 
that  the  pots  split  open  in  the  fire,  but  add,  that 
it  endures  the  most  intense  heat  without  fusion.  I 
am  inclined  to  believe  their  want  of  complete  suc^ 

26 


202 

cess  is  less  attributable  to  the  qualities  of  the  clay, 
than  to  the  skill  which. has  been  exercised  in  mak- 
ing use  of  it.  In  the  manufacture  of  pots,  a  portion 
of  ttie  clay  is  always  burnt  in  a  high  heat,  then 
ground  in  a  mill  to  a  powder,  and  mixed  with  a 
quantity  of  the  crude  clay  in  the  state  of  powder,  with 
water.  This  burning  deprives  the  clay  of  its  prin- 
ciple of  plasticity,  i.  e.  converts  it  into  a  sort  of  clay 
stone,  which,  when  ground  to  powder,  has  the  same 
effect  as  adding  refractory  sand,  namely,  prevent- 
ing its  shrinkage  and  liability  to  crack,  and  has 
this  additional  advantage,  that  it  does  not  render 
the  composition  fusible,  as  sands  do.  When  a  pot 
splits  open  in  the  furnace,  it  is  an  evidence  that 
the  mixture  is  too  rich.  It  has  not  enough  burnt 
clay.  No  clay  can  be  too  pare,  or  too  refractory, 
but  in  the  technical  phrase  of  the  glass-house,  it 
can  be  too  rich.  The  precise  proportion  of  burnt 
to  unburnt  ciay,  in  using  individual  qualities,  is  a 
matter  of  considerable  importance,  and  no  invari- 
able rule  can  be  given  to  suit  all  clays,  for  when- 
ever a  new  clay  is  introduced,  preliminary  trials  on 
different  mixtures  of  it  will  be  found  necessary. 
Generally,  however,  such  a  quantity  of  crude  clay 
should  be  taken  as  will  communicate  to  the  whole 
mass  enough  of  the  plastic  principle  to  make  it 
stick  well  together,  and  knead  into  a  compact 
mass.  Nothing  more  is  required;  and  any  re- 
dundancy in  the  crude  cl  ly  renders  the  pot  liable 
to  shrink  and  crack  when  it  comes  to  be  exposed 
to  the  intense  heat  of  the  furnace.  A  thorough 
acquaintance  with  the  natur  of  the  clays  employ- 
ed, is  therefore  necessary ;  and  there  is  no  branch 


203 

of  the  manufacture  in  which  more  skill  is  required, 
or  in  which   artists   are  oftener  deceived.     It  is 
from  these  circumstances,  and  knowing  how  soon 
artists  are  discouraged  by  the  failure  of  an  experi- 
ment on  a  new  substance,   that  I  am  disposed  to 
believe  the  Zanesville  clay  has  not  had  a  fair  trial. 
I  may,  however,  be  deceived ;  since  the  external 
character  of  a  clay  or  other  mineral  body,  though 
a  general,    is   not   an  infallible  rule  to  judge  by ; 
and  there  is  no  result  more  conclusive  than  that  of 
a  manufactory  in  the  large  way,  provided  the  ex- 
periment has  been  skilfully  conducted,  and  all  the 
circumstances  accurately  minuted. 
41.      Fullers'  Earth. 
The  essential  ingredients  of  this  earth  are  silex 
and  alumine ;  and  its  excellency  for  the  purpose 
of  fulling  cloth  appears  to  consist  in  the  fineness 
of  the  particles  of  which  it  is  composed,  and  the 
intimacy  with   which   they   are  combined.     The 
banks  of  the  Mississippi  are  chiefly  silex  and  alu- 
mine combined  with  variable  proportions  of  vege- 
table matter,  and  afford  all  gradations  from  very 
coarse  to  very  fine.     The  finer  kinds,  and  such  as 
are  not  contaminated  with  vegetable  mould,  are  a 
kind  of  fullers'  earth,  and  it  appears  in  some  places 
exceedingly  fine  and  well  characterized.     On  as- 
cending the  Mississippi  from  the  mouth  of  Ohio  to 
St.  Louis,  it  may  be  particularly  observed  in  low- 
water,  as  one  of  the  under  strata  of  Tyawapatie 
and  Bois  Brula  Bottoms.     The  great  field  of  St. 
Genevieve,  where  it  forms  the  bank  of  the  river, 
contains  some  very  fine  strata  of  fullers'  earth. 


204 

which  are  only  observable  in  a  low  stage  of  the 
water. 

42.     Madrepore. 

This  animal  petrifaction  is  found  near  Cave-in- 
Rock,  Gallatin  County,  Illinois,  in  a  rounded  mass, 
consisting  of  columnar  hexagonal  prisms  diverging 
from  a  centre.  Its  colour  is  a  brownish  yellow, 
and  the  columns,  which  are  inverted  pyramids, 
appear  to  have  been  hollow  at  some  former  period, 
and  are  now  filled  with  a  hard  white  silicious 
matter. 

43.     Stalactite. 

Stalactites  are  found  abundantly  in  several  caves 
on  Cave  Creek,  one  of  the  head  waters  of  Currents 
River,  in  Missouri  Territory.  These  caves  are  at 
present  situated  in  the  wilderness,  about  80  miles 
S.  W.  of  Potosi,  in  the  vicinity  of  Ashley's  Saltpetre 
Cave.  The  Stalactitse  are  found  in  concretions  re- 
sembling icicles  hangingfrom  the  roof, or  in  columns 
reaching  to  the  floor,  and  present  a  variety  of  imita- 
tive forms.  Some  specimens  are  translucent,  and  the 
cause  which  has  produced  them  is  removed,  the 
dropping  has  ceased,  and  the  caves  are  generally 
dry, affording  now  an  earth  richly  impregnated  with 
saltpetre,  and  this  salt  is  also  found  effloresced 
on  the  rocks,  very  white  and  fine.  Stalactites  are 
also  found  in  a  very  large  cave  on  Find  ley's  Fork, 
one  of  the  tributaries  of  White  River,  Arkansaw 
Territory.  They  are  in  enormous  columns,  and 
the  floor  of  the  cave  is  covered  by  stalagmites, 
from  the  size  of  a  pea  to  many  tons  weight. 
44.     Stalagmite.  (Calcareous  Alabaster.) 

The  cave  which  has  just  been  mentioned  on 
Findley's   Fork,    affords    stalagmite   sufficiently 


205 

large,  compact,  and  beautiful,  for  the  sculptor's 
chisel,  and  would  undoubtedly  afford  some  fine 
specimens  of  alabaster. 

45.  Piiddinir  stone. 
This  mineral  is  dispersed  along  the  shores  of 
the  Alleghany  River,  between  the  mouth  of  French 
Creek  and  Pittsburgh.  It  is  generally  a  conglome- 
ration of  coarse  grains  of  quartz,  or  silicious  peb- 
bles, cemented  by  silex  or  ferruginous  clay.  That 
river  may  also  afford  specimens  which  run  into  a 
kind  of  breccia,  though  I  possess  no  well  charac- 
terized specimens.  And  there  is  also  evidence  of 
the  existence  of  sienite.  Pebbles  of  white  quartz 
are  very  common  all  along  this  river.  The  west 
bank  of  the  Ohio  at  Fort  Massac  in  Illinois,  and  at 
"  America,"  10  miles  above  its  mouth,  afford  Pud- 
dingstone  consisting  of  quartzy  pebbles  cemented 
by  iron.  Also,  the  Chalk  banks  at  Cape  Girardeau 
on  the  Mississippi. 

46.  Opal. 
I  possess  a  single  specimen  of  precious  opal, 
which  was  procured  near  Cave-in-Rock,  Gallatin 
County,  Illinois.  Its  colour  is  milk  white  shaded 
with  blue  ;  it  is  incapable  of  being  scratched  by 
steel  or  acted  on  by  acids,  is  semi-transparent  in  a 
high  degree,  and  opalesces  on  holding  it  up  to  the 
light.  The  colour  it  most  constantly  displays  is  a 
reddish  yellow.  The  place  in  which  it  was  found 
is  remarkable  for  producing  fluor-spar,  galena, 
blende,  pyrites,  coal,  salt,  madrepore,  calcareous 
spar,  &c.  It  belongs  to  the  great  secondary  lime- 
stone formation  of  the  valley  of  the  Ohio,  and  the 
rocks  are  cavernous,  one  of  the  most  remarkable 


206 

of  which  appears  in  a  high  bluff  of  limestone  rock 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  generally  known  as 
the  Cave-in-Rock.  Sometimes  small  caverns  in 
this  vicinity  on  being  broken  into,  yield  large 
quantities  of  galena  unaccompanied  by  a  matrix, 
but  lying  loose  among  dusty  particles  hi  the  bottom 
of  the  cave,  and  their  appearance  would  lead  us 
to  suppose  that  the  matrix  had  decayed  and  dissi- 
pated, leaving  the  ore  behind. 

47.     Jasper.  (Common  and  Striped.) 

Several  specimens  of  this  mineral,  now  before 
me,  were  picked  up  along  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, between  St.  Genevieve  and  St.  Louis. — 
There  is  a  variety  in  their  colour.  The  first  is  a 
uniform  bottle  green,  very  hard,  and  susceptible  of 
a  high  polish.  The  second  is  the  fragment  of 
a  nodular  mass,  consisting  of  alternate  concentric 
stripes  of  green,  brown,  and  yellow,  the  colours 
passing  by  imperceptible  shades  into  each  other. 
A  specimen  found  in  Potosi  consists  of  alternate 
stripes  of  rose  and  flesh  red.  Of  their  original 
situation  nothing  is  known,  as  they  appear  to  be 
rolled  fragments  out  of  place,  but  may  be  presum- 
ed to  be  the  product  of  some  of  the  tributary 
streams  of  the  Mississippi. 

I  had,  however,  the  satisfaction  to  find  this  mi- 
neral in  its  proper  situation  during  a  journey  into 
the  interior  of  Missouri.  It  is  found  as  a  stratum 
in  secondary  limestone,  in  the  bed  of  Cave  Creek, 
near  the  head  of  Currents  River,  in  Missouri  Terri- 
tory, and  about  80  miles  S.  W.  of  Potosi.  Its  co- 
lours are  blue  and  white  striped. 


207 

48.     Agatized  fVood, 

Is  found  dispersed  along  the  shores  of  the 
Mississippi  and  Missouri  very  plentifully,  and 
good  specimens  may  be  obtained  near  Hercula- 
iieum  and  St.  Louis. 

49.     Carnclian. 

Accompanying  the  jasper,  yellow,  and  tabular 
quartz,  agatized  wood,  &c.  found  on  the  shores 
of  the  Mississippi,  some  small  masses  of  a  very 
beautiful  carnelian  are  occasionally  met  with. 
They  are  very  transparent,  hard  and  brilliant,  and 
of  various  shades  of  red  and  yellow,  sometimes 
arranged  in  concentric  zones,  alternating  with 
white;  some  specimens  are  dendritic.  These  last 
would  be  considered  as  agates,  were  they  not  pos- 
sessed of  a  glassy  transparency. 

50.     Sulphur. 

A  spring  exists  in  Jefferson  county,  Missouri, 
the  waters  of  which  are  highly  charged  with  sul- 
phur, which  it  deposites  on  the  stones  over  which 
it  runs.  Salt  springs  are  found  within  a  few  miles 
of  it,  but  no  gypsum  has  as  yet  been  brought  to 
light.  An  idea  of  its  beneficial  effects  in  bilious 
complaints  is  generally  prevalent,  and  the  springs 
form  a  resort  for  the  surrounding  inhabitants,  who 
drink  copiously  of  the  water. 

51.     Muriate  of  Soda.     (Common  Salt.) 

The  principal  works  for  the  manufacture  of  salt 
in  the  western  country,  are  seated  on  the  Seweet- 
ly  and  Scioto  Rivers,  in  Ohio;  on  the  Great  Kan- 
haway,  in  Virginia;  on  Saline  River  in  Illinois;  at 
St.  Genevieve,  and  Boon's  Lick,  in  Missouri ;  and 
on  the  Arkansaw  and  Washitaw  Rivers,  in  Arkan- 


208 

saw.  About  150,000  bushels  per  annum,  is  made 
at  the  United  States  Saline  in  Illinois,  which  is 
sold  at  seventy  cents  per  bushel  at  the  works. 
There  are  two  salt  springs  in  Jefferson  county, 
Missouri,  where  salt  is  manufactured,  but  the 
works  are  small.  The  springs  on  the  Arkansaw, 
are  reported  to  exceed  any  hitherto  discovered, 
for  their  extent  and  the  strength  of  the  water. 
The  existence  of  native  rock  salt  in  this  region,  is 
still  a  matter  of  doubt,  but  it  appears  probable 
that  it  does  exist.  In  travelling  among  the  hunters 
and  Indians  in  the  interior  of  Missouri,  I  made  fre- 
quent inquiries  respecting  the  rock  salt  reported 
to  exist  near  the  banks  of  the  Arkansaw,  and  was 
told  by  several  that  such  salt  did  exist  in  what 
they  term  the  Pawnee  Mountains  ;  that  they  had  seen 
and  used  of  it,  that  it  was  white  and  clear  like 
alum,  and  the  white  hunters  added,  that  the  Paw- 
nee and  Osage  Indians,  were  in  the  habit  of  pro- 
curing their  salt  from  that  spot. 

S2.  Nitrate  of  Potash.  (Salt  Petre.) 
Three  saltpetre  caves  are  worked  in  Washing- 
ton county,  Missouri  Territory.  They  are  situa- 
ted on  the  Merrimack.  Several  caves  are  also 
worked  on  the  Gasconade  River,  and  a  very  ex- 
tensive one,  which  I  visited  last  winter,  on  the 
head  of  Currents  River,  on  a  stream,  which 
from  the  numerous  caves  upon  it,  I  have  called 
Cave  Creek.  In  travelling  in  that  region,  it  is  com- 
mon to  find  crystallized  nitre  filling  the  small  cre- 
vices of  limestone  rock,  and  there  are  few  caves 
which  do  not  afford  traces  of  this  salt. 


209 

53.     Sulphate  of  Zinc.     (White  Vitriol.) 

On  the  authority  of  Dr.  Andrews,  of  Mount  Prai- 
rie, on  Red  River,  I  mention  the  existence  of  na- 
tive sulphate  of  zinc,  on  Washitaw  River,  in  Clark 
county,  Arkansaw  Territory.  It  is  found  in  a  high- 
ly interesting  section  of  country,  about  fifteen 
miles  below  the  Hot  Springs,  and  which  also  af- 
fords iron,  loadstone,  novaculite,  quartz,  mica, 
&c.  The  rock  formation  is  argillaceous  slate,  tra- 
versed by  veins  of  white  quartz. 

54.     Sulphate  of  Copper.     (Blue  Vitriol.) 

On  the  authority  quoted  in  the  preceding  article, 
I  also  mention  the  existence  of  native  sulphate  of 
copper  at  the  same  place,  and  a  saline  substance, 
which  answers  the  purpose  of  Glauber's  salts. 
55.     Graphite.     (Plumbago.) 

The  vicinity  of  Mine  La  Motte,  Madison  county, 
Missouri  Territory,  affords  specimens  of  graphite. 
It  is  also  found  on  Big  River,  in  the  county  of  St. 
Genevieve,  quantity  small.  Since  my  return  from 
Missouri,  I  am  informed  by  letter,  that  a  very  large 
body  of  plumbago  has  been  discovered  twelve 
miles  south  of  Potosi  in  Washington  county. 

56.     Coal. 

Coal  is  abundant  at  Pittsburgh,  in  Pennsylva- 
nia. It  is  found  directly  opposite  the  city,  on 
Coal  Hill,  from  which  the  founderies,  and  glass- 
works are  supplied. — On  the  Alleghany  River, 
at  various  places  as  high  up  as  Kittanning,  and 
along  the  Monong ahela,  nearly  to  its  source.  It  is 
a  coarse  coal,  very  black  and  shining,  sometimes 
beautifully  irised,  with  a  slaty  uneven  fracture,  a 
moderate  weight  and  hardness,  and  perfectly  bi- 

27 


210 

luminous.  It  inflames  easily,  burns  with  a  pitchj 
smoke,  and  bituminous  smell,  and  throws  out  a 
great  heat.  It  occurs  in  veins  in  secondary  lime- 
stone, along  with  argillaceous  slate,  indurated 
clay,  red  sandstone,  and  bituminous  shale,  which 
are  arranged  in  alternate  strata,  one  above  the 
other,  and  preserving  an  exact  parrallelism  with 
the  waters  of  the  Alleghany,  Monongahela,  and 
Ohio  Rivers.  The  coal  alwavs  constitutes  a  vein 
between  the  shale  and  clay  which  are  found  im- 
mediately above  and  below  it.  The  clay  appears 
to  have  originated  from  the  decomposition  of 
shale,  for  it  may  be  observed  in  all  stages  of  the 
decomposition  from  a  well  characterized  argilla- 
ceous slate  to  plastic  clay. 

The  veins  of  coal  are  from  a  foot  to  nine  feet  in 
thickness,  and  the  strata  of  coal,  shale,  limestone. 
&c.  are  repeated,  so  that  the  sides  of  the  hills  which 
afford  coal,  exhibit  several  strata,  with  the  rock 
intervening,  one  above  another.  The  greatest 
distance  in  a  perpendicular  direction  from  one 
stratum  to  another,  is  perhaps  one  hundred  feet, 
and  such  is  the  regularity  of  the  coal  formation  in 
this  region,  that  the  description  of  one  pit  or  bed, 
will  apply  almost  equally  to  any  other,  within  a 
circuit  of  two  hundred  miles,  every  section  of 
which  is  more  or  less  characterized  by  coal.  It 
generally  breaks  out  on  side  hills,  as  on  the  coalhilh 
at  Pittsburgh ;  and  those  hills  are  elevated  many 
hundred  feet  above  the  waters,  so  that  they  are 
easily  worked,  requiring  no  machinery  for  pump- 
ing out  water,  &c.  Sometimes  pyrites  of  a  tin 
white  colour  are  found  mixed  among  the  coal,  and 


211 

argillaceous  iron  ore,  well  adapted  for  working  in 
the  blast  furnace,  is  one  of  the  alternating  strata. 
Coal  is  also  dug  at  Zanesville,  and  Galliopolis, 
in  Ohio,  at  Wellsburgh  and  Wheeling  in  Virginia, 
at  Maysville  and  on  Trade-Water  River  in  Ken- 
tucky, at  Alton  in  Illinois,  and  at  Florissant  and 
on  Osage  River  in  Missouri. 

57.  Sulphate  of  Lime.  (Gypsum.) 
This  earthy  salt  is  found  in  the  crystallized 
ibrm,  in  St  Clair  county,  Illinois.  It  is  also  found 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  Arkansaw,  near  the  Sa- 
lines situated  in  that  country.  The  quantity  is 
immense,  and  there  is  an  unusual  proportion  in  the 
crystallized  and  transparent  form.  Mr.  Sibley  who 
visited  that  part  of  the  country  several  years  ago, 
in  giving  a  description  of  it,  says, — "  It  is  a  tract 
of  about  seventy-five  miles  square,  in  which  na- 
ture has  arranged  a  variety  of  the  most  strange 
and  whimsical  vagaries.  It  is  an  assemblage  of 
beautiful  meadows — verdant  ridges,  and  rude  mis- 
shapen piles  of  red  clay,  thrown  together  in  the 
utmost  apparent  confusion,  yet  affording  the  most 
pleasing  harmonies,  and  presenting  in  every  direc- 
tion an  endless  variety  of  curious  and  interesting 
objects.  After  winding  along  for  a  few  miles  on 
the  high  ridges,  you  suddenly  descend  an  almost 
perpendicular  declivity  of  rocks  and  clay,  into  a 
series  of  level  and  fertile  meadows,  watered  by 
some  beautiful  rivulets,  and  here  and  there  adorned 
with  shrubby  cotton  trees,  elms,  and  cedars.  These 
meadows  are  divided  by  chains  formed  of  red  clay, 
and  huge  masses  of  gypsum,  with  here  and  there 
a  pyramid  of  gravel.     One  might  imagine  himself 


212 

surrounded  by  the  ruins  of  some  ancient  city,  and 
that  the  plain  had  sunk  by  some  convulsion  of  na* 
ture  more  than  one  hundred  feet  below  its  former 
level,  for  some  of  the  huge  columns  of  red  clay  rise' 
to  the  height  of  two  hundred  feet  perpendicular, 
capped  with  rocks  of  gypsum,  which  the  hand  of 
time  is  ever  crumbling  off^  and  strewing  in  beauti- 
ful transparent  flakes,  along  the  declivities  of 
the  hill,  glittering  like  so  many  mirrors  in  the  sun.'* 
58.     Sulphate  of  JVIagnesia. 

This  salt  occurs  in  beautiful  white  crystals,  in  a 
cave  near  Corydon,  the  present  seat  of  government 
of  Indiana. 

59.     Pumice. 

This  volcanic  mineral  is  annually  brought  down 
the  Missouri  River,  by  the  flood  which  generally 
happens  in  June.  Of  its  origin  we  know  nothing. 
Hunters  speak  of  a  mountain  emitting  smoke  and 
flames  on  the  head  of  the  River  Kanzas.  The 
same  phenomenon  is  reported  to  exist  on  the  wa- 
ters of  the  Yellowstone.  The  pumice  is  well 
characterized,  consisting  of  a  light  spongy  mass 
of  vitrified  matter,  made  up  of  minute  globules,  or 
spheroids  of  a  grayish  white  colour ;  sometimes  it  is 
brown,  red,  or  black.  There  is  also  brought  down 
the  same  river,  a  volcanic  production,  light  enough 
to  swim  on  water,  which  does  not  appear  to  be  pu- 
mice. It  is  probably  a  pseudo-volcanic  product, 
originating  from  the  accidental  burning  of  coal, 
barks,  &c. 

60.     Basanite.     (Touchstone.) 

On  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  are  found  nu- 
merous pieces  oi  a  close  grained,  dark  silicious 


213 

slate,  which  receive  the  trace  of  metallic  substan- 
ces rubbed  against  them  with  great  facility,  and 
afford  a  true  evidence  of  the  colour  of  the  metal 
employed.  They  occur  in  rolled  pieces  on  the 
shores  of  the  river,  where  they  are  deposited  by 
the  high  spring  floods,  and  are  brought  down  with 
innumerable  other  fragments  of  stone,  from  the 
unexplored  regions,  which  give  rise  to  the  Missou- 
ri and  the  Mississippi,  with  their  remotest  tributa- 
ries. The  several  masses,  though  amorphous  in 
some  instances,  have  in  others,  a  trapezoidal  con- 
figuration, and  they  are  sufficiently  soft,  to  admit 
of  being  ground  on  a  common  grindstone. 
61.  Greenstone  Porphyry. 
There  is  but  one  body  of  granitic  rock  in  all 
the  inhabited  part  of  the  Territory  of  Missou- 
ri. This  occurs  in  high  broken  masses  in  the 
west  part  of  Madison  county,  and  continues  for 
many  miles  into  the  adjoining  county  of  Washing- 
ton. It  is  one  of  the  most  rough  and  romantic 
scenes  in  all  that  country,  and,  considered  with  a 
view  to  its  geological  or  mineralogical  character, 
is  by  far  the  most  interesting.  It  is  completely  in- 
sulated by  secondary  limestone.  In  it,  are  found 
many  imbedded  minerals,  and  the  River  St.  Fran- 
cis, which  enters  the  Mississippi  five  hundred 
miles  below,  originates  in  springs  which  gush  out 
among  these  stupendous  piles  of  red  granite.  Ores 
of  iron,  lead,  and  zinc,  with  quartz,  feldspar,  shorl, 
mica,  and  graphite,  are  among  the  minerals  furnished 
by  that  region,  and  greenstone,  gneiss,  and  green- 
stone porphyry,  are  among  the  larger  masses  of 
rock.     The  greenstone  is  found  in  large  insolated 


214 

fragments  lying  promiscuously  among  the  frag- 
ments of  granite,  which  have  tumbled  down  from 
the  lofty  cliffs  above.  It  would  probably  be  found 
constituting  veins  in  the  granite  of  that  place, 
were  a  diligent  search  instituted,  but  1  did  not 
observe  any  in  that  situation,  i  t  is  most  common- 
ly rendered  porphyritic  by  crystals  of  green  and 
flesh  coloured  feldspar,  variously  shaded  and  blen- 
ded into  one  another.  The  greenstone  itself  is  a 
very  dark  green,  inclining  to  black.  It  breaks 
with  the  most  extreme  difficulty,  sometimes  exhi- 
biting small  specks  of  tin-white  pyrites. 

62.  Schorl 

Imbedded  in  certain  granitic  aggregates  in  Ma- 
dison county,  Missouri  Territory,  are  found  ill- 
defined  crystals  of  common  black  schorl,  which 
approach  in  figure,  a  six-sided  pyramid,  terminated 
by  three  lateral  faces,  so  modified  by  truncation,  as 
to  elude  description. 

63.  Ochre. 

About  six  miles  west  of  the  Chalk  Banks  on  the 
Mississippi,  in  the  interior  of  Cape  Girardeau 
county,  Missouri  Territory,  are  found  some  beds 
of  variously  coloured  ochres,  which  consist  prin- 
cipally of  the  oxyd  of  iron,  combined  with  various 
proportions  of  silex  and  alumine,  all  in  a  state  of 
intimate  comminution  and  mixture.  These  ochres, 
which  are  red,  white,  yellow,  &c.  may  proba- 
bly be  found  useful  as  pigments,  and  indeed,  they 
have  already  been  applied  with  some  success  to 
that  use,  by  the  inhabitants  of  that  neighbourhood. 


215 


64.     jugate. 


A  specimen  of  this  mineral  now  before  me,  I 
picked  up  on  the  highlands  south  of  White  River, 
in  Arkansaw  Territory,  and  about  three  hundred 
miles  west  of  the  Mississippi.  It  is  nearly  the  one 
equal  fourth  part  of  a  nodular  mass,  broken  dur- 
ing that  physical  revolution  of  the  earth,  which 
left  the  alluvial  soil  upon  the  rocks,  where,  with 
other  silicious  matters,  it  occurs  as  a  deposit.  Its 
colour  is  a  purple  of  the  highest  beauty,  pervaded 
by  white  stripes,  or  zones,  which  are  arranged  in 
concentric  curves  corresponding  with  the  exteri- 
or indented  surface. 

65.     Onyx. 
This  variety  of  agate  is  found  in  Missouri,  on  the 
west  bank  of  Establishment  Creek,  eight  miles  from 
St.  Genevieve,  on  the  road  to  Potosi.     Its  colour 
is  a  bluish  white,  which  passes  into  pale  blue,  and 
dark  blue,  and  the  colours  are  variously  arranged 
in  stripes,  zones,  or  concentric  lines.     It  appears  in 
detached  masses  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and 
associated  with  chalcedony  and  hornstone.     The 
rock  formations  at  that  place,  are  secondary  lime- 
stone, overlaying  white  sandstone.     The  hardness 
of  this  mineral  is   one  of  its  most  distinguishing 
properties.     It  strikes  fire  readily  with  steel,  and 
from  some  trials  instituted  by  Mr.  Lucius  Bull,  oi 
this  city,  whom  I  had  furnished  with  specimens  oi 
the  rough  mineral,  it  appears  capable  of. receiving 
a  high  polish. 

66.     Shale. 
Shale  is  one  of  the  alternating  mineral  strata,  in 
the  Independent  Coal  formation  at  Pittsburgh,  and 


216 

is  common  at  all  the  coal  mines,  so  numerous  in 
that  vicinity.  It  lies  next  to  the  coal,  and  passes 
on  the  one  hand  into  argillite,  and  on  the  other 
into  bituminous  shale.  A  decomposition  has  in 
some  instances  taken  place,  the  result  of  which  is 
a  clay  of  a  bluish  white  colour,  soponaceous  to  the 
feel,  and  plastic. 

67.     Buhrstone.     (Millstone.) 

Racoon  Creek,  in  Indiana,  is  noted  throughout 
the  western  country,  for  the  buhrstone  procured  on 
its  banks,  and  which  is  now  a  profitable  branch  of 
manufacture.  It  covers  an  area  of  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen acres  square.  Its  texture  is  vesicular,  yet  it 
is  sufficiently  compact  to  admit  of  being  quarried 
with  advantage,  and  the  stones  are  applied  to  the 
purposes  of  milling  with  the  best  success.  Laurel 
Hill  in  Virginia,  is  also  noted  for  the  millstones 
procured  there,  but  I  did  not  take  that  place  in 
my  tour,  and  cannot  state  any  particulars  respect- 
ing their  geological  position.  The  stone  appears, 
from  a  manufactured  specimen  which  I  have  seen, 
to  be  a  pretty  compact  variety  of  that  kind  of  vesi- 
cular quartz,  called  buhrstone. 

68.     Hydrogen  Gas. 

A  phenomenon  which  has  for  several  years  ex- 
cited the  attention  of  travellers,  under  the  name 
of  &  burning  spring*  exists  on  one  of  the  principal 
forks  of  Licking  River,  Kentucky.  It  is  situated 
about  three  fourths  of  a  mile  from  the  banks  of  the 
river,  and  about  eighty  miles  above  its  junction 
with  the  Ohio,  opposite  Cincinnati.  A  spring  here 
breaks  out  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  forming  a  basin  of 
water  about  six  feet   in  diameter,  and  two  feet 


217 

deep,  at  the  bottom  of  which,  issues  a  stream  of 
hydrogen  gas,  which  in  volume  and  force,  is  about 
equal  to  the  blast  forced  from  a  common  smith's 
bellows,  but  there  is  no  cessation  of  its  force, 
which  is  such  as  to  create  a  violent  ebullition  in 
the  water.  Being  heavier  than  common  atmos- 
pheric air,  the  gas  on  passing  up  through  the  wa- 
ter, constantly  occupies  the  surface,  which  is  still 
the  lower  part  of  an  indenture  in  the  earth  at  that 
place.  On  presenting  a  taper,  this  gas  instantly 
takes  fire,  and  burns  with  great  brilliancy.  There 
is  no  absorption  of  it  by  the  water,  which  possess- 
es the  purity  of  common  spring  water;  neither  is 
any  offensive  odour  thrown  off, — a  circumstance 
which  leads  me  to  conclude,  that  it  is  carburetted 
hydrogen*,  which  is  probably  liberated  by  the  spon- 
taneous operation  of  physical  agents  on  a  stratum 
of  stone  coal  at  some  depth  below. 

This  spring  has  been  known  to  dry  up  entirely  in 
the  summer,  when  the  air  rushes  out  with  increas- 
ed force,  accompanied  by  a  hissing  noise.  There 
is  nothing  like  smoke  emitted ;  a  fresh  peeled  sap- 
ling, held  over  the  flame,  does  not  receive  the  least 
colouration,  and  meat  may  be  roasted  over  the 
flame  without  contracting  any  disagreeable  fla- 
vour. 

69.     Native  Iro?i. 

A  mass  of  native  iron  weighing  upwards  of  three 
thousand  pounds,  was  discovered  several  years 
ago,  on  the  banks  of  Red  River,  in  Louisiana,  and 
is  now  in  the  collection  of  the  Historical  Society 
in  the  New-York  Institution.  Its  shape  is  irregu- 
lar, inclining  to  oviform,  its  surface  deeply  indented 

28 


218 

and  covered  by  an  oxyd  of  iron,  and  it  is  much 
broader  at  the  bottom,  where  it  has  rested  on  the 
earth,  than  at  the  top,  inclining  somewhat  in  the 
manner  of  a  cone.  By  several  experiments  which 
have  been  made  upon  different  pieces  of  it,  there 
appears  to  be  a  want  of  uniformity  in  its  quality, 
some  parts  being  xery  malleable  and  ductile,  while 
others  possess  nearly  the  hardness  of  steel.  It  is 
susceptible  of  the  highest  polish,  and  is  said  to 
contain  some  nickel.  Col.  Gibbs,  through  whose 
munificence  this  rare  specimen  of  the  physical 
productions  of  our  country  has  been  placed  among 
the  collections  of  the  Historical  Society,  has  dis- 
covered in  its  interior,  octahedral  crystals  of  singu- 
lar beauty,  some  of  which  are  half  an  inch  in  length, 
and  striated. 

This  mass  of  iron  was  found  about  one  hundred 
miles  above  Natchitoches,  on  Red  River,  on  one 
of  those  rich  and  extensive  prairies  so  common  to 
that  part  of  the  country,  and  about  twelve  miles 
from  the  banks  of  the  river.  Other  pieces  have 
been  found  in  that  neighbourhood,  and  if  re- 
liance is  to  be  placed  on  information  from  travel- 
lers into  that  quarter,  very  large  masses  of  native 
iron  now  exist  there. 

Remarks. 

In  the  arrangement  of  the  preceding  Catalogue, 
no  order  has  been  observed.  Species,  subspecies, 
and  varieties,  differing  widely  in  their  nature  and 
composition,  are  promiscuously  treated,  and  suc- 
ceed each  other  without  any  regard  to  mineralo- 
gical  method.  I  sat  down  to  write  with  my  col- 
lection of  western  minerals  before  me,  taking  up 


219 

one  after  another,  as  they  happened  contiguous, 
and  successively  recorded  their  localities,  and 
packed  them  away.  Such  is  the  simple  method  I 
adopted,  and  now  that  I  have  gone  through,  I  am 
not  sensible  that  a  new  arrangement  of  the  matter 
would  materially  affect  its  utility.  The  labour 
Which  it  would  be  necessary  to  bestow  in  re-wri- 
ting the  article,  would  at  least  be  disproportionate 
to  the  benefits  expected  to  result  from  it.  It  must 
therefore  go  to  the  press  in  its  present  shape.  It 
contains  such  information  on  the  mineralogy  of  the 
western  country,  as  I  had  to  give,  and  I  must  leave 
it  to  those  who  may  feel  interested,  to  pick  out,  ar- 
range, and  apply  it. 

It  is  not  pretended  that  the  foregoing  Catalogue 
embraces  all  the  minerals  of  the  western  country. 
On  the  contrary,  there  is  reason  to  conclude,  that 
only  a  small  portion  of  them  have  been  noticed. 
Such  only  as  I  have  seen,  or  procured  specimens 
of,  or  of  whose  existence  I  am  certified  by  concur- 
rent testimonies,  I  have  mentioned,  adding  such 
reflections  as  appeared  to  me  to  be  proper.  It  is 
therefore  rather  the  Catalogue  of  such  minerals  as 
I  collected  on  my  tour,  than  awy  attempt  to  embo- 
dy all  the  known  localities  of  minerals  of  that  ex- 
tensive country  through  which  I  passed.  Many 
others  might  have  been  added  from  received  au- 
thority,  but  I  preferred  making  out  the  record  of  a 
few  localities  well  known,  than  of  many  whose  ex^ 
istence,  character,  and  extent,  are  involved  in 
doubt.  It  is  the  commencement  of  an  investiga- 
tion into  the  physical  history,  character,  and  re- 
sources  of  the  western  country,  and  which  is  left 


220 

to  future  observation  to  continue  and  perfect. 
The  field  is  an  extensive  one,  and  invites  attention; 
and  I  only  regret  the  insufficiency  of  my  means,  to 
continue  inquiries  so  full  of  interest,  and  so  near- 
ly allied  to  the  wants,  comforts,  and  indepen- 
dence of  our  country.  1  must  content  myself 
therefore,  with  having  been  the  pioneer  of  western 
science,  without  the  advantages  resulting  from  its 
regular  march,  and  of  having  endured  many  of  the 
difficulties,  connected  with  a  frontier  tour,  with  the 
expectation  of  few  of  its  advantages. 


ARTICLE   III. 


JOURNAL, 

OF  A 

VOYAGE  UP  THE  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER, 

FROM  THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  OHIO  TO  ST.  LOUIS, 

WITH  SOME  ACCOUNT  OF  THAT  PLACE. 
I 


July  1,  1818.  The  dashing  of  oars  awoke  me 
this  morning  at  an  early  hour,  and  on  quitting  my 
birth,  I  found  the  boat  under  rapid  headway  for 
the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  with  the  Mississippi  in  full 
view.  The  interest  excited  on  approaching  the 
junction  of  these  celebrated  rivers,  and  a  wish  to 
survey  with  attention  the  physical  character  of  the 
country,  kept  me  constantly  on  deck.  The  morn- 
ing was  calm  and  serene,  scarcely  a  cloud  obscured 
the  atmosphere,  and  the  sun  rose  majestically 
above  the  horizon,  clothing  in  light  the  most  sub- 
lime and  beautiful  scene,  which,  until  that  mo- 
ment, I  ever  beheld.  The  novelty  of  the  scenery, 
the  bold  geographical  outlines  presented  by  the 
banks  of  the  rivers,  the  heavy  forests  which  cast 
their  gloomy  shadows  upon  the  water,  and  the  low 


222 

murmur  of  two  mighty  streams  hastening  to  mingle 
their  currents,  could  not  fail  to  present  a  scene 
replete  with  the  highest  interest,  and  capable,  at 
once,  of  exciting  our  united  wonder  and  admira- 
tion.    Yet,  I  could  not  contemplate  the  junction 
of  these  two  streams  without  feeling  something 
like  regret  or  disappointment,   not  because  the 
scene  did  not  equal  the  expectations  I  had  formed 
of  it,  for  it  was  all  I  had  anticipated,  but  it  arose 
from  the  termination  at  that  place  of  a   beautiful 
river,   which  in  my  descent  had   afforded  me  so 
much  pleasure,  and  of  which  I  wished  to  see  more, 
— it  arose  from  the  submersion  and  loss  of  the 
gentle  and   clear  Ohio  in  the  rapid  and  turbid 
Mississippi.     After  having  pursued  the  Ohio  from 
Pittsburgh  to  its  mouth,  a  distance  of  more  than 
one   thousand   miles,   and   seeing  it  successively 
swelled  by  the  Sciota,  the  Muskingum,  the  Miami, 
the  Kanhaway,  Kentucky,  Green,  Wabash,  Cum- 
berland, Tennessee,  and   numerous  other  rivers, 
of  scarcely  inferior  magnitude,  the  traveller  is  in- 
sensibly led   to  a  contemplation  of  its  grandeur 
and  beauty  ;   he  feels  a  mingled  emotion  of  pride 
and  satisfaction  in  riding  down  its  majestic  cur- 
rent, and  cannot  help  feeling  something  like  regret, 
to  find  it,  at  last,  merely  a  tributary  to  the  Missis- 
sippi— that  mighty  stream  which  draws  its  waters 
from  a  country  equal  in  extent  to  the  Roman  Em- 
pire in  its  proudest  days  ;   and   whose   tributaries 
are  rivers  surpassing  in  size   the   Rhine,   the  Da- 
nube, or  the  Wolga.     Such  at  least  were  my  emo- 
tions on  reaching  the  Mississippi,  which  we  enter- 
ed this  morning  at  sunrise,  and  found  ourselves 


223 

suddenly  transported  from  a  gentle  current  and 
clear  water,  to  a  stream  holding  so  much  mud  in 
suspension  as  to  appnar  perfectly  opaque ;  and  a 
current  so  rapid  that  it  is  with  difficulty  navigated 
by  ordinary  boats. 

Made  this  day  five  miles.  Banks  of  the  river  a 
rich  black  alluvion,  elevated  from  ten  to  fifteen 
feet  above  the  water. — Trees  chiefly  cotton  wood. 
Left  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  about  twenty  boats 
of  all  denominations,  laden  with  merchandise,  and 
emigrant  passengers,  chiefly  destined  for  Boon's 
Lick  on  the  Missouri. 

Thursday,  2d  July.  Soil  and  timber  the  same  as 
yesterday.  Banks  twenty  feet  high  on  an  average, 
and  subject  to  semi-annual  inundation.  We  have 
suffered  excessively  this  day  from  musquitoes, 
and  they  are  now  in  swarms  around  the  boat,  so 
that  I  promise  myself  little  sleep  this  night.  As- 
cended six  miles. 

Friday,  3d  July.  We  have  this  day  passed  seve- 
ral islands  covered  with  a  rank  growth  of  young 
cotton  wood  trees,  and  passed  for  several  miles 
along  a  shore  rendered  dangerous  by  saivyers, 
planters,  and  snags.  As  these  terms  mays  not  be 
familiar  to  an  eastern  reader,  an  explanation  may 
here  be  given.  A  sawyer  is  a  large  tree  which 
has  tumbled  into  the  river  above,  and  got  fastened 
by  its  roots  in  the  bottom,  with  its  top  pointed 
downwards,  and  just  appearing  above  the  level  of 
the  water,  or  it  may  terminate  a  foot  or  two  below, 
so  that  its  locality  can  only  be  told  by  an  experi- 
enced hand  by  the  ripple  created  in  the  water. 
This  tree  is  continually  forced  downward  by  the 


224 

current,  which  is  still  not  strong  enough  to  tear  it 
out,  and  suffers  it  occasionally  to  recoil,  so  that  a 
regular  rotatory  motion  is  kept  up,  which  is  per- 
formed once  in  ten  or  fifteen  minutes ;  and  if  a 
boat  be  passing  over  it  at  the  time  it  has  overcome 
the  pressure  of  the  current  and  is  recoiling  to  its 
original  position,  the  destruction  of  the  boat  is  in- 
evitable. The  power  of  this  engine  of  destruction 
is  that  of  elasticity,  which  is  here  brought  into 
operation  by  the  pressure  of  water  against  a  co- 
lumn of  live  wood  eighty  or  ninety  feet  in  length, 
the  bottom  being  fastened,  and  the  column  inclined 
at  an  angle  of  about  eighty  degrees,  leaving  the 
top  at  liberty  to  play  like  a  whip-stalk.  When 
the  tree  does  not  reach  within  two  or  three  feet  of 
the  surface  of  the  water,  they  are  called  sleeping 
sawyers,  and  these  are  the  most  dangerous,  for  they 
cannot  be  seen.  It  was  on  one  of  these  that  the 
steam  boat  Franklin  struck,  and  sunk,  a  few  miles 
below  St.  Genevieve. 

Planters,  are  trees  in  a  similar  situation, but  firmly 
set,  and  having  no  motion.  Snags,  are  small  trees, 
or  limbs  of  large  trees,  sticking  up  in  the  river,  and 
may  either  be  fixed  or  have  motion. 

Ascended  this  day  seven  miles,  and  came  to,  at 
night,  at  the  foot  of  a  large  island,  covered  with 
the  reed,  or  cane,  a  plant  which  has  been  com- 
mon, as  the  undergrowth,  on  both  banks  of  the 
river,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  thus  far  up. 

Saturday,  July  kih.  Independence.  To  testify 
their  observance  of  this  day,  the  boatmen  made 
their  appearance  this  morning  in  clean  shirts,  and 
were  indulged  with  an  extra  dram  by  the  captain. 


225 

I  could  not  help  thinking  it  less  a  tribute  of  honour 
to  the  day,  than  a  comfort  to  themselves.  There 
has  thus  far  been  a  great  uniformity  in  the  appear- 
ance of  the  country.  The  banks,  however,  begin 
to  rise,  and  from  the  appearance  of  the  wild  tur- 
key and  gray  squirrel  on  the  shore,  it  is  probable  we 
are  passing  out  of  the  inundated  region.  Ascend- 
ed six  miles. 

Sunday,  July  5th.  A  storm  coming  on  suddenly 
last  night,  and  the  waves  beginning  to  rise,  we  were 
compelled  to  make  land  on  a  falling-in  bank,  at  the 
head  of  a  large  island,  and  where  we  lay  all  night 
in  imminent  danger  of  being  crushed  by  the  falling 
earth,  or  sunk  by  the  violence  of  the  waves.  These 
banks  are  created  by  the  current  of  the  river  be- 
ing altered,  (which  generally  happens  during  the 
high  spring  floods,)  and  thrown  forcibly  against 
the  head  or  side  of  islands  or  banks,  which  are 
continually  undermining  and  tumbling  in,  so  that 
whole  islands  are  thus  swept  away,  and  deposited 
at  some  other  place,  where  the  current  favours 
the  increase  of  some  head  land,  or  the  formation 
of  new  islands. 

Ascended  this  day  eight  miles,  which  brought  us 
to  the  first  settlement  at  Tyawapaty  Bottom.  Here 
are  six  or  eight  plantations,  where  corn,  flax,  hemp, 
tobacco,  pumpkins,  potatoes,  &c.  are  raised  in 
abundance.  The  lands  are  said  to  be  too  rich 
for  wheat.  The  peach  and  apple  tree  succeed 
very  well,  and  among  the  wild  fruits,  the  black- 
berry, papaw.  percimmon,  erab  apple,  and  haw-, 
are  abundant.  This  is  the  first  spot  of  land  suffi- 
ciently eletated  to  admit  of  successful  cultivation. 

29 

kit 


226 

and  is  exempt  from  inundation,  except  in  uncommon 
rises,  when  it  is  overflown  for  a  short  period,  from 
one  to  two  feet. 

Monday,  July  6th.  No  change  in  the  face  of  the 
country.  Settlements  continue  on  the  Missouri 
shore,  and  the  land  gradually  rises.  Ascended 
three  miles,  and  lay  by,  waiting  for  hands,  our  crew 
being  found  too  weak  to  work  the  boat  with  ad- 
vantage. While  moored  to  the  bank  this  day. 
we  were  overtaken  and  passed  by,  a  boat  loaded 
with  pine  boards  and  plank  from  Olean,  on  the 
head  of  Alleghany  River,  in  Cattaragus  county, 
state  of  New-York,  and  destined  for  St.  Louis.  On 
inquiry,  I  learned  that  a  considerable  commerce 
in  these  articles  was  carried  on ;  and  that  a  hand- 
some profit  attended  the  business.  The  boards 
and  plank  are  taken  in  rafts  from  Olean,  to  the 
mouth  of  Ohio,  and  from  thence  carried  in  keel 
boats  and  barges  to  St.  Louis,  where  they  are 
worth  sixty  dollars  per  thousand  feet. 

Tuesday,  July  1th.  Early  in  the  morning  arrived 
at  the  head  of  Tyawapaty  Bottom,  at  the  Little 
Chain  of  Rocks,  where  the  western,  or  Missouri 
bank  of  the  river  presents  an  elevated  ridge,  with 
a  rocky  front  to  the  river,  and  covered  at  top,  with 
a  stratum  of  sterile  alluvion,  consisting  of  pebbles, 
and  chips  of  hornstone  in  a  red  clay,  which  affords 
nourishment  to  a  stinted  growth  of  oaks,  some 
walnut,  sassafras,  and  a  few  other  trees  and  plants 
peculiar  to  the  poorer  kinds  of  soil.  This  is  the 
first  high  land  met  with  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio,  from  which  it  is  situated  thirty-five  miles, 
and  fifteen  miles  below  Cape  Girardeau. 

m 


227 

Halt  a  mile  above  the  Little  Chain  of  Rocks,  are 
situated  the  Chalk  Banks,  where  chalk  of  a  good 
quality  is  procured,  and  much  of  the  chalk  con- 
sumed in  the  interior  of  Missouri,  is  procured  at 
that  place.  The  beds  are  extensive,  and  the  chalk 
is  raised  with  very  little  expense.  Pervading  it, 
are  found  strata  of  flint,  from  two  to  four  inches  in 
thickness ;  and  I  also  procured  some  specimens  of 
flint  in  the  nodular  form,  inveloped  by  chalk,  or 
a  calcareous  matter  resembling  chalk.  There 
is  also  found  here,  yellow  and  red  ochre,  and 
large  masses  of  puddingstone  are  found  on  the 
margin  of  the  river.  It  consists  chiefly  of  silicious 
pebbles,  and  sand,  cemented  by  iron.  Ascended 
ten  miles. 

Wednesday,  July  8th.  Limestone  rocks,  and  hilly 
grounds,  covered  with  oak,  with  occasional  strips 
of  bottom  land,  continue  on  the  Missouri  shore. 
On  the  eastern  or  Illinois  shore,  the  country  has 
been  wholly  of  alluvial  formation,  presenting  a 
rich  level  plain,  covered  by  a  heavy  growth  of 
cotton  wood,  sycamore,  elm,  &c.  Generally,  how- 
ever, it  appears  too  low  for  cultivation,  and  re- 
mains in  the  state  of  nature.  On  ascending  five 
miles  this  morning,  we  reached  the  town  of  Cape 
Girardeau,  which  consists  of  about  fifty  houses,  in- 
cluding two  stores  and  a  post  office,  and  is  situated 
on  an  eminence  commanding  a  delightful  prospect 
of  the  Mississippi  for  several  miles  below,  and  of 
the  country  of  the  Illinois  beyond.  It  was  former- 
ly the  seat  of  justice  for  Cape  Girardeau  county, 
Missouri  Territory,  but  according  to  a  late  law,  it 


228 

has  been  removed  to  Jackson,  a  nourishing  town 
situated  twelve  miles  west  of  the  river. 

The  town  of  Cape  Girardeau,  is  situated  fifty 
miles  above  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi, and  about  eighty  miles  below  St.  Genevieve. 
We  have  thus  far  experienced  a  strong  current, 
many  shoals,  sand  bars,  falling-in  banks,  and  rafts 
of  trees,  snags  and  sawyers  without  number. 

Thursday,  July  9th.  The  mineralogical  charac- 
ter of  the  western  bank  of  the  river,  is  becoming 
more  interesting.  Some  pieces  of  hornslone,  jas- 
per, radiated  quartz,  and  argillaceous  oxyd  of  iron, 
have  rewarded  my  rambles  this  day.  The  rock 
formations  are  invariably  limestone,  chiefly  secon- 
dary, resting  on  red  sandstone.  These  rise,  in 
some  places,  in  perpendicular  bluffs  on  the  banks 
of  the  river,  and  at  others,  recede  for  half  a  mile, 
or  a  mile,  giving  place  to  a  rich  bottom  of  alluvial 
formation,  which  is  generally  elevated  above  the 
periodical  floods.  Some  farm-houses  are  scatter- 
ed along  the  shore,  surrounded  by  the  most  luxuri- 
ant corn-flelds.  Corn  appears  to  be  the  staple  ar- 
ticle of  the  farmer,  although  wheat  succeeds  very 
well  in  Cape  Girardeau  county  generally,  particu- 
larly in  the  interior,  where  considerable  quanti- 
ties are  raised.     Ascended  seven  miles. 

Friday,  July  10th.  Rocks  continue  on  the  Mis- 
souri shore,  and  have  presented  a  perpendicular 
wall  for  the  greatest  part  of  the  day,  presenting 
in  some  places,  the  most  novel,  terrific,  and  en- 
chanting views.  Picked  up  a  large  fragment  of 
pumice,  well  characterized,  which  is  annually 
brought  down  the  Missouri  River,  as  the  boatmen 


229 

■say,  from  the  unknown  countries  at  its  head,  where 
volcanic  fires  are  said  to  exist.  Ascended  seven 
miles,  and  encamped  at  the  Mockason  Spring,  a 
basin  of  limpid  water,  occupying  a  crevice  in  the 
rock,  and  well  known  among  the  navigators  of  the 
Mississippi,  for  the  cooling  beverage  it  affords. 

Saturday,  July  11  th.  We  were  passed  this  day 
by  the  steam-boat  Harriet,  laden  with  merchan- 
dise for  St.  Louis.  Face  of  the  country  unaltered. 
Some  plantations  on  the  Illinois  shore.  Ascended 
five  miles. 

Sunday,  July  1 2th.  Passed  the  mouth  of  Great 
Muddy  River,  a  considerable  stream  of  Illinois, 
and  whose  banks  afford  large  beds  of  good  inflam- 
mable stone  coal.  Several  pieces  of  native  cop- 
per have  also  been  found  near  the  margin  of  this 
river.  Directly  opposite  the  mouth  of  this  river, 
on  the  Missouri  shore,  is  found  a  bed  of  chalk, 
similar  in  appearance  to  that  procured  at  the 
Little  Chain  of  Rocks,  in  Cape  Girardeau  county. 
Two  miles  more  brought  us  to  the  Grand  Tower,  one 
of  the  wonders  of  the  Mississippi.  It  is  a  stupen- 
dous pile  of  rocks,  rising  out  of  the  river,  nearly 
midway  of  the  stream,  of  a  form  nearly  circular, 
and  rising  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  a  cone,  to  the 
height  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and 
capped  by  a  stinted  growth  of  cedars.  It  seems 
in  connexion  with  the  rocky  shores  on  either  side, 
to  have  opposed,  at  some  former  period,  a  barrier 
to  the  progress  of  the  Mississippi,  which  must  here 
have  had  a  perpendicular  fall  of  more  than  one 
hundred  feet. 


230 

In  the  rocks  on  the  Illinois  shore,  and  directly 
opposite  the  Grand  Tower,  is  a  large  crevice,  call- 
ed the  DeviVs  Oven,  which  is  less  remarkable  for 
any  thing  wonderful  or  terrific  in  its  appearance, 
than  for  its  name.     It  may  also  claim  notice  from 
being  the  first  rock  or  highland  on  the  Illinois  shore 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  thus  far  up.  A  chain  of 
hills  coming  from  the  southwest,  appears  to  have 
crossed  the  Mississippi  at  this  place,  pursuing  its 
way  into  Illinois,  first  in  a  northeast  direction,  then 
stretching  towards  the  northwest,  and  forming  the 
eastern  shore  of  the  Illinois  River,  as  far  as  obser- 
vation has  extended.     By  some  convulsion  of  na- 
ture, or  the  continued   power  of  friction  acting 
for  centuries  upon  a  limestone  rock,  the  Mississip- 
pi has  here  forced  its  way  through  that  barrier, 
leaving  the  Grand  Tower  as  a  perpetual  monu- 
ment of  that  sublime  physical  revolution.  Ascend- 
ed seven   miles,  and  encamped  in  the  eddy  be- 
low Cape  Garlick,  after  having  made  three  unsuc- 
cessful attempts  to  pass  it. 

Monday.  July  13th.  On  a  renewed  attempt  this 
morning,  we  succeeded  in  doubling  the  Cape,  not, 
however,  without  incredible  fatigue,  and  the  loss 
of  two  of  our  best  hands,  who  refused  to  pro- 
ceed any  further;  were  paid  off,  furnished  with 
provisions,  and  immediately  commenced  their 
journey  back.  Ascended  half  a  mile  further,  and 
came  to,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Obrazo,  a  small  river, 
entering  on  the  Missouri  shore.  It  originates  in 
broken  lands  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  St. 
Genevieve  county,  and  affords  near  its  mouth,  a 
fine  body  of  choice  farming  lands.     While  moored 


231 

to  the  bank  here,  waiting  the  arrival  of  additional 
hands  from  the  interior,  we  were  passed  at  diffe- 
rent periods,  by  four  boats,  chiefly  laden  with  fur- 
niture, and  emigrants  from  Vermont,  and  the  wes- 
tern part  of  New- York,  destined  for  Boon's  Lick, 
on  the  Missouri. 

Tuesday,  July  1 5th.  Rocks  occasionally  on  both 
sides  of  the  river,  with  some  bottom  lands,  and  a 
few  plantations  intervening.     Ascended  six  miles. 

Wednesday,  July  15th.  Scenery  unaltered.  No- 
thing can  equal  the  beauty  of  the  varying  land- 
scape, presented  for  the  last  two  days.  There  has 
appeared  a  succession  of  the  most  novel  and  in- 
teresting objects  which  the  face  of  nature  is  capa- 
ble of  presenting.  Whatever  pleasure  can  be  de- 
rived from  the  contemplation  of  natural  objects, 
presented  in  surprising  and  picturesque  groupes, 
can  here  be  enjoyed  in  the  highest  degree.  Even 
art  may  be  challenged  to  contrast  with  more  effect, 
the  bleak  and  rugged  cliff  with  the  verdant  forest, 
the  cultivated  field,  or  the  wide  extended  surface 
of  the  Mississippi,  interspersed  with  its  beautiful 
islands,  and  winding  majestically  through  a  coun- 
try, which  only  requires  the  improvements  of  civi- 
lized and  refined  society,  to  render  it  one  of  the 
most  delightful  residences  of  man.  Nor  is  it  pos- 
sible to  contemplate  the  vast  extent,  fertility,  re- 
sources, and  increasing  population  of  this  immea- 
surable valley,  without  feeling  a  desire  that  our 
lives  could  be  prolonged  to  an  unusual  period,  that 
we  might  survey,  an  hundred  years  hence,  the  phy- 
sical and  political  condition  of  this  country,  and 
live   to  participate  in  the   advantages,  improve- 


232 

ments,  wealth,  glory,  and  power,  which  is  destined 
to  crown  the  great  basin  between  the  Alleghany 
and  Rocky  Mountains,  the  first  kingdom  upon  the 
globe.     Ascended  seven  miles. 

Thursday,  July  IQth.     The  western  shore  of  the 
Mississippi  has  been  unusually  rugged  and  barren 
this  day,  presenting  one  continued  wall  of  lime- 
stone, and  but  little  ground  which  is  capable  of 
cultivation.     Cape  St.  Comb,  which  we  passed  at 
noon, is  remarkable  for  the  large  fragments  of  sand- 
stone rock,  which  are  lying  there  in  the  most  pro- 
miscuous manner.     Some  pieces  of  it,  may  be  con- 
sidered granular  quartz.     We  frequently  meet  the 
paroquet  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  have  passed 
several  large  flocks  to-day.     This  is  a  kind  of  par- 
rot, a  beautiful  bird,  which  is  very  common  in 
Louisiana,  Missouri,  and  Kentucky.     We  have  al- 
so met  in  this  day's  voyage,  a  large  flock  of  peli- 
cans, but  could  not  approach  nigh  enough  to  kill 
any.     This  is  a  bird  which  frequents  the  waters 
of  the  Mississippi,  but  never  ventures  far  into  the 
interior.      The  wild  turkey,  quail,  and   squirrel, 
are  daily  met  with  on  either  shore,  and  we  find  no 
difficulty  in  killing  as  many  as  we  have  occasion 
for.     Ascended  ten  miles,  and  encamped  at  the 
foot  of  Bois  Brula  Bottom. 

Friday,  July  Mth.  We  have  this  day  passed  by 
a  considerable  part  of  Bois  Brula  Bottom,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  fertile  tracts  of  alluvial  soil  in 
St.  Genevieve  county.  It  extends  for  twelve  miles 
along  the  margin  of  the  river,  and  is  a  populous 
and  flourishing  settlement.     Ascended  seven  miles 


233 

and  encamped,  some  of  the  hands  complaining  of 
sickness. 

Saturday,  July  18/A.  At  an  early  hour  this  morn- 
ing, we  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia,  or 
Ocaw  River,  a  large  stream  running  in  from  the 
Illinois  shore.  It  is  a  hundred  yards  wide  at  its 
mouth,  with  an  average  depth  of  eight  feet  of  wa- 
ter, and  originates  in  the  highlands  east  of  the  Illi- 
nois River,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north- 
west of  its  junction  with  the  Mississippi.  Kaskas- 
kia, one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  Illinois,  and  the 
present  seat  of  the  territorial  government,  is  situa- 
ted on  this  river,  seven  miles  from  its  mouth,  and 
the  river  will  admit  of  being  navigated  with  steam 
boats  to  that  place.     Ascended  seven  miles. 

Sunday,  July  19th.  From  the  head  of  Bois  Bru- 
la  Bottom,  to  the  commencement  of  the  great  field 
of  St.  Genevieve,  a  distance  of  six  miles,  the  coun- 
try is  rough  and  unsettled.  Here  commences  a 
rich  tract  of  alluvion,  which  extends  to  the  town  of 
St.  Genevieve,  a  distance  of  five  miles,  and  is  cul- 
tivated in  common  by  the  inhabitants.  Ascended 
this  day  eleven  miles,  which  brought  us  to  the  St. 
Genevieve  landing,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gabbarrie, 
a  small  creek  running  through  the  town.  The 
town  of  St.  Genevieve  lies  on  an  eminence,  a  mile 
west  of  the  landing,  and  consists  of  about  three 
hundred  houses,  including  several  stores,  a  post- 
office,  court-house,  jail,  and  Roman  Catholic  cha- 
pel. It  is  one  of  the  principal  markets  for  the 
Missouri  lead  mines,  and  carries  on  a  considera- 
ble commerce  with  the  interior,  supplying  foreign 
merchandise  to  the  inhabitants,  and  taking  lead. 

30 


231 

corn,  wheat,  whiskey,  pork,  beef,  deer  skins,  and 
peltries  in  return.  A  branch  of  the  Missouri  bank, 
with  a  capital  of  % 50,000  is  also  established  at  this 
place. 

Monday,  July  20th.  At  St.  Genevieve.  The 
water  of  the  Mississippi  is  falling  rapidly,  and 
leaves  on  the  shores  a  deposit  of  mud,  which,  is 
in  various  places  from  a  foot  to  two  feet  in  depth. 
This  recent  deposit  appears  to  consist  essentially 
of  silex  and  alumine,  in  a  state  of  very  intimate 
mixture.  An  opinion  is  prevalent  throughout  this 
country,  that  the  water  of  the  Mississippi,  with 
every  impurity,  is  healthful  as  a  common  drink, 
and  accordingly  the  boatmen,  and  many  of  the  in- 
habitants on  the  banks  of  the  river,  make  use  of 
no  other  water.  An  expedient  resorted  to  at  first, 
perhaps,  from  necessity,  may  be  continued  from 
an  impression  of  the  benefits  resulting  from  it.  1 
am  not  well  enough  acquainted  with  the  chymical 
properties  of  the  water,  or  the  method  in  which  it 
operates  on  the  human  system,  to  deny  its  utility, 
but  to  my  palate,  a  glass  of  cool,  clear  spring  wa- 
ter, is  far  preferable  to  the  muddy  lukewarm  wa- 
ter of  the  Mississippi.  I  have  seen  a  simple  method 
pursued  for  clarifying  it.  It  is  done  by  sprinkling 
a  handful  of  Indian  meal  on  the  surface  of  a  pail  of 
water,  which  precipitates  the  mud  to  the  bottom, 
and  the  superincumbent  water  is  left  in  a  tolera- 
ble state  of  purity. 

Tuesday,  July  21sf.  While  lying  at  St.  Genevieve 
yesterday,  we  were  passed  by  several  keel  boats,, 
and  barges  with  emigrants,  merchandise,  pine 
plank,  from  Olean,  &c.  all  destined  fer  St.  Louis. 


235 

Among  the  number  of  emigrants  with  whom  i  con- 
versed, were  several  from  the  District  of  Maine, 
from  Vermont,  Connecticut,  New-York,  Pennsyl- 
vania, North  Carolina,  and  Kentucky ;  whose  des- 
tination was  chiefly  Boon's  Lick,  on  the  Missouri. 
On  ascending  three  miles  above  St.  Genevieve 
this  morning,  we  came  to  the  Little  Rock  Ferry. 
where  the  west  bank  of  the  river  presents  a 
wall  of  limestone,  which  continues  for  several 
miles  up.  At  this  place  we  had  occasion  to 
witness  a  remarkable  instance  of  longevity  in 
the  person  of  M.  Burton,  whose  age  is  stated  at 
one  hundred  and  nine  years,  and  whose  life  has 
been  spent  in  the  fatigues  and  activity  inseparable 
from  the  pursuits  of  a  soldier  and  a  hunter.  He 
was  at  Braddock's  defeat, — at  the  siege  of  Louis- 
bourg, — at  the  taking  of  Bergen-op-Zoom  in  Flan- 
ders,— at  the  building  of  Fort  Chartres  in  Illinois, 
and  was  the  discoverer  of  those  rich  and  extensive 
lead  mines  in  Washington  County,  which  continue 
to  be  called  after  him.     Ascended  twelve  miles. 

Wednesday,  July  22c/.  Limestone  rock,  washed 
by  the  river, — hills  back  covered  chiefly  with 
oak, — lands  poor,  and  strewed  with  detached 
shivers  of  flint,  and  hornstone,  which  are  some- 
times accompanied  by  the  ancient  Indian  dart,  and 
radiated  quartz.  Those  detached  strips  of  allu- 
vion, which  occasionally  intervene  between  the 
most  prominent  points  of  rocks,  are  covered  by  a 
very  rank  growth  of  plants,  shrubs,  and  vines ; 
among  which  the  wild  pea,  and  the  hop,  are  con- 
spicuous. The  forest  trees  immediately  bordering 
the  river  are  cotton  wood  and  sycamore,  with 


23b 

some  papaw,  buckeye,  and  hackberry.  We  were 
passed  near  evening  by  the  steam  boat  Harriet,  on 
her  descent  from  St.  Louis,  and  also  by  two  kee! 
boats,  going  to  the  mouth  of  Ohio  for  pine  plank. 
The  west  banks  of  the  river  have  this  day  present- 
ed some  sublime  views,  particularly  at  a  place 
called  the  Dormant  Walls,  which  are  elevated  at 
least  200  feet  above  the  water's  edge,  and  bear 
the  marks  of  attrition  of  some  ancient  ocean,  to 
which  it  has  served  as  the  western  barrier,  and 
now  bears  a  thousand  fanciful  forms,  imprinted  by 
the  action  of  the  water.     Ascended  thirteen  miles. 

Thursday,  July  '13d.  The  bold  and  rude  scenery 
presented  by  the  western  bank  of  the  river  yester- 
day, has  continued  nearly  all  this  day,  sometimes 
rising  into  very  high  peaks,  and  at  others  gradu- 
ating into  gentle  hills,  covered  with  oaks,  and 
bounded  on  the  margin  of  the  river  by  small 
alluvial  tracts.  Passed  the  mouth  of  the  Platten 
Creek,  Cornice  and  Swashing  Rocks,  and  arrived 
at  Herculaneum  about  mid-day.  Distance  five 
miles. 

Herculaneum  is  a  town  of  between  30  and  40 
houses,  and  is  handsomely  situated  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  Mississippi,  at  the  mouth  of  Joachim 
Creek.  It  has  three  stores,  a  post  office,  and  school ; 
and  there  are  three  shot  towers,  two  flouring  mills, 
a  distillery,  and  tan  yard  in  its  vicinity.  It  is  one  of 
the  principal  markets  for  the  Missouri  Lead  mines.* 

Friday,  July  11th.     At  Herculaneum.     The  boat 
unexpectedly  ends  her  voyage  at  this  place — cargo 

*  Herculaneum  has  since  been  fixed  upon  as  the  seat  of  justice  for  Jeffer- 
son County. 


237 

all  discharged,  and  it  returns.  Directly  oppo- 
site Herculaneum,  on  the  Illinois  shore,  lies  Harri- 
sonville,  a  small  town  of  about  twenty  houses,  and 
the  seat  of  justice  for  Monroe  County,  Illinois.  It 
is  situated  on  a  tract  of  alluvial  land  called  the 
American  Bottom,  which  extends  from  the  Kas- 
kaskia  river  along  the  margin  of  the  Mississippi 
for  a  hundred  miles,  and  has  a  breadth  of  from 
three  to  ten  miles.  It  is  one  of  the  richest  bodies 
ofland  in  the  western  country,  producing  all  kinds 
of  grain  and  fruits  in  great  perfection  and  abun- 
dance. Its  margin  on  the  river  is  covered  by  a 
dark  and  heavy  forest  of  trees,  with  a  rank  growth 
of  underbrush  ;  but  at  the  distance  of  a  mile,  or  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi, 
the  prairies  commence,  and  extend  to  the  rocky 
bluff  bv  which  the  tract  is  bounded  on  the  east. 

Saturday,  July  25th.  At  Herculaneum.  This 
town  is  situated  thirty  miles  below  St.  Louis,  thirty 
above  St.  Genevieve,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy 
above  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  with  the  Mississip- 
pi. The  lead  mines  lie  35  miles  southwest  of  it 
The  scite  of  this  town  has  been  chosen  with  a  ju- 
dicious eye ;  its  local  relation  to  the  adjoining  coun- 
try being  such  as  to  render  it  the  key  to  its  com- 
merce. It  lies  on  a  high  level  alluvial  plain,  en- 
vironed on  both  sides  by  rocky  bluffs,  which  appear 
here  to  have  been  placed  asunder  to  allow  the  Jo- 
achim a  passage  into  the  Mississippi.  These  bluffs 
are  crowned  by  shot  towers,  which  add  much  to 
the  picturesque  appearance  of  the  place,  and  af- 
ford the  visitor  a  most  enchanting  view  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  for  many  miles  below  and  above ; — 


23U 

of  its  islands  and  banks— of  the  American  bottom- 
and  of  the  bluffs  beyond. 

The  geological  character  of  the  western  banks 
of  the  Mississippi,  from  the  first  highland  which  is 
met  with  at  the  Little  Chain  of  Rocks,  to  this  place, 
has  preserved  a  great  uniformity.  The  lowest 
stratum  of  rocks  is  a  grayish  yellow,  or  reddish 
sandstone,  which  passes  in  some  places  into  a  gray- 
ish white  sandstone,  coarse  grained,  and  in  others 
to  a  very  fine  white  granular  quartz.  This  is  over- 
layed  by  transition,  and  secondary  limestone,  the 
latter  being  the  highest  and  last  deposit,  containing 
numerous  impressions  of  shells,  animalcula,  and 
plants.  Primitive  limestone  (compact)  is  found  on 
the  bluffs  back  of  this  town. 

Sunday,  July  26th.  Having  no  opportunity  to 
continue  my  journey  by  water,  1  determined  to 
pursue  my  way  to  St.  Louis  by  land,  and  set  out 
this  morning,  in  company  with  two  of  my  fellow 
voyagers,  on  foot,  having  taken  directions  as  to  the 
roads  and  distance.  After  travelling  seven  miles 
we  arrived  at  the  Sulphur  Springs,  a  place  which  is 
occasionally  resorted  to  on  account  of  its  medici- 
nal properties.  The  water  is  pretty  strongly  im- 
pregnated with  sulphur,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
a  beneficial  effect  in  bilious  complaints.  The 
scenery  in  the  vicinity  of  the  springs  is  highly  pic- 
turesque, and  the  place  is  susceptible  of  being 
made  a  delightful  resort.  Five  miles  more  brought 
us  to  the  banks  of  the  Merrimack  river,  where  we 
arrived  at  dark,  and  prevailed  with  the  ferryman 
to  take  us  across,  notwithstandiag  the  darkness  of 
the  night,  and  the  rain,  which  after  having  threat- 


239 

ened  a  shower  all  the  afternoon,  now  began  to  fall. 
Mistaking  our  way,  however,  on  leaving  the  west 
banks  of  the  river,  we  wandered  about  for  two  or 
three  hours  in  the  woods,  the  rain  pouring  in  tor- 
rents, and  the  night  so  dark  that  we  could  only 
progress  when  the  lightning  served  to  show  us  the 
way;  and  at  last  found  the  house  we  were  in 
search  of.  The  Merrimack  is  a  stream  of  two 
hundred  yards  across,  and  originates  in  high  lands 
two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  southwest  of  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Mississippi.  It  affords  some  fine 
bodies  of  land,  and  near  its  head  are  large  forests 
of  pine,  which  are  destined  to  furnish  boards  and 
plank  for  building  to  a  great  portion  of  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Its  banks  also  furnish  large 
beds  of  iron  ore,  and  manganese ;  and  the  exten- 
sive lead  mines  in  Washington  County  are  all  situ- 
ated on  its  tributary  streams. 

Our  road  this  day  has  lain  across  a  sterile  tract 
of  country,  consisting  of  a  succession  of  hills  of 
moderate  elevation,  covered  chiefly  by  oaks,  and 
without  underbrush.  A  tall,  thick,  and  rank  growth 
of  wild  grass,  covers  the  whole  country,  in  which 
the  oaks  are  standing  interspersed,  like  fruit  trees 
in  some  well  cultivated  orchard,  and  giving  to  the 
scenery  the  most  novel,  pleasing,  and  picturesque 
appearance.     Distance  fifteen  miles. 

Monday,  July  27th.  On  travelling  twelve  miles 
this  morning,  we  arrived  at  the  old  French  village 
of  Carondalet,  or  Vede-pouche.  It  lies  immediately 
on  the  margin  of  the  Mississippi,  and  contain? 
about  sixty  buildings,  exclusively  occupied  by  tin 
French,  who  are  chiefly  engaged  in  agriculture 


240 

Nearly  opposite  Carondalet,  on  the  Illinois  shore? 
lies  the  town  of  Cahokia,  the  seat  of  justice  for 
St.  Clair  County,  Illinois.  It  has  about  one  hun- 
dred houses  including  the  county  buildings,  a  post- 
office,  a  Roman  Catholic  chapel,  and  an  office  for 
the  sale  of  public  lands.  The  inhabitants  are 
chiefly  French.  This  town  is  the  residence  of  the 
presiding  judge  of  the  Territory,  the  Hon.  J.  B. 
Thomas. 

On  quitting  Carondalet,  we  entered  upon  an 
elevated  tract  of  highland  prairie,  without  forest 
trees,  and  covered  by  tall  grass  and  shrubs.  The 
road  across  this  tract  preserves  a  parallelism  with 
the  Mississippi,  from  which  it  is  situated  about 
half  a  mile,  and  affords  several  commanding  pros- 
pects of  that  river,  and  of  the  country  beyond.  At 
the  distance  of  three  miles  a  sudden  change  is 
witnessed,  and  a  rich  tract  of  improved  country, 
with  numerous  well  constructed  buildings,  fences, 
orchards,  &c.  indicated  our  approach  to  St.  Louis, 
where  we  arrived  at  about  four  o'clock,  and  enjoy- 
ed a  serene  evening,  for  viewing  the  town.  Dis- 
tance eighteen  miles. 

Tuesday,  July  28th.  Description  of  St.  Louis.  St. 
Louis  is  situated  in  Lat.  38°  36"  N.  and  Long. 
12°  58"  W.  from  Washington  City.  It  is  built  upon 
the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  river,  eighteen 
miles  below  the  junction  of  that  river  with  the 
Missouri,  and  thirty  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Illinois.  It  is  twelve  hundred  miles  above  the  city 
of  New-Orleans,  two  hundred  above  the  junction 
of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  and  fifteen  hundred 
miles,  by  computation,  below  the  Falls  of  St.  An- 


241 

thony.  The  town  occupies  an  elevated  plain  in  a 
bend  of  the  river,  which  has  a  gradual  ascent  from 
the  landing  in  front,  to  the  rear  of  the  town,  where 
it  terminates  in  a  level  and  extensive  prairie,  or 
plain.  This  plain  consists  of  a  stratum  of  alluvial 
soil,  bottomed  on  limestone  rock,  which  forms  a 
permanent  shore  in  front  of  the  town,  and  for  se- 
veral miles  below  and  above  it.  It  contains  5,000 
inhabitants,  and  about  550  houses,  a  great  propor- 
tion of  which  are  well  constructed  buildings  of 
brick  or  stone.  Among  the  number,  are  40  stores, 
a  postoffice,  a  land  office,  two  chartered  banks — 
the  Bank  ofTvlissouri,  and  the  St.  Louis  Bank,  and 
one  private  bank,  called  the  St.  Louis  Exchange 
Bank.  All  the  ordinary  trades  and  callings,  are 
established,  and  the  mechanic  industry  of  the 
place,  supplies  not  only  the  necessaries,  but  many 
of  the  elegancies  of  life.  It  has  one  brewery,  two 
distilleries,  two  water  mills,  one  steam  flouring 
mill,  and  a  mill  propelled  by  ox  power.  It  has  a 
court-house,  jail,  theatre,  three  churches,  a  muse- 
um, and  several  public  schools,  where  not  only 
the  rudiments,  but  some  of  the  higher  branches 
of  education  are  taught.  The  museum  is  the 
private  property  of  Gov.  Clark,  through  whose 
generosity  visiters  are  gratuitously  admitted  to 
view  the  collection,  which  is  arranged  with  great 
taste  and  effect,  in  the  council  chamber  of  his 
agency.  The  collection  consists  of  numerous 
splendid  Indian  dresses,  warlike  instruments,  skins 
of  remarkable  animals,  minerals,  fossil-bones,  and 
other  rare  and  interesting  specimens,  collected  by 
him  in  his  memorable  tour  to  the  sources  of  the 

31 


2-42 

Missouri  River,  to   the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River. 

St.  Louis  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  St.  Louis 
county,  and  the  seat  of  legislation  for  the  territory. 
It  will  also  be  the  seat  of  government  for  the  con- 
templated state  of  Missouri,  and  1  anticipate  the 
day,  when  it  will  be  the  seat  of  empire  for  that 
vast  basin  of  land,  situated  between  the  Alleghany 
and  Rocky  Mountains  on  the  east  and  west,  and 
between  the  northern  Lakes  and  the  Gulph  of 
Mexico  on  the  north  and  south.  Its  situation  in 
point  of  beauty,  health,  and  convenience,  is  rare- 
ly equalled,  and  no  place  in  the  world,  situated  so 
far  from  the  ocean,  can  at  all  compare  with  it,  for 
commercial  advantages.  It  is  so  situated  with  re- 
gard to  the  surrounding  country,  as  to  become  the 
key  of  its  commerce,  and  the  store-house  of  its 
wealth,  and  if  the  whole  western  region  be  sur- 
veyed with  a  geographical  eye,  it  must  rest  with 
unequalled  interest  on  that  peninsula  of  land  form- 
ed by  the  junction  of  the  Missouri  with  the  Mis- 
sissippi, a  point  occupied  by  the  town  of  St.  Louis. 
Standingnearthe  confluence  of  such  mighty  streams, 
an  almost  immeasurable  extent  of  back  country 
most  flow  to  it  with  its  produce,  and  be  supplied 
from  it,  with  merchandise.  The  main  branch 
of  the  Missouri  is  navigable  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred miles,  and  the  most  inconsiderable  of  its  tri- 
butary streams,  will  vie  with  the  largest  rivers  oi 
the  Atlantic  states.  The  Yellowstone,  which  en- 
ters the  Missouri  1,800  miles  from  its  mouth,  is  it- 
self navigable  800  miles.— The  La  Platte— the 
Kansas— the  Osage— the  Soo— the  White  Stone— 


243 

the  Manitow — and  the  Gasconade,  are  ail  navi- 
gable from  300  to  700  miles,  and  flow  through 
a  country  rich  in  all  the  productions  of  a  climate 
the  most  genial,  healthy,  and  serene.  The  Mis- 
souri, and  its  tributary  streams,  will  supply  navi- 
gation to  a  district  of  country  600  miles  wide,  and 
2000  miles  in  extent.  The  Mississippi  is  naviga- 
ble without  interruption,  1000  miles  above  St. 
Louis.  Its  tributaries,  the  Corbeau,  Iowa,  Ous- 
consin,  St.  Pierre,  Rock  River,  Salt  River,  and 
Desmoines,  are  all  streams  of  the  first  magnitude, 
and  navigable  for  many  hundred  miles.  The  Illi- 
nois is  navigable  300  miles,  and  when  the  commu- 
nication between  it  and  Lake  Michigan — between 
the  Mississippi,  and  Lake  Superior,  and  the  Lake  of 
the  Woods — between  the  Missouri  and  the  Colum- 
bia— between  the  Yellowstone  and  the  Multnomah, 
shall  be  effected,  communications  not  only  point 
ed  out,  but  almost  completed  by  nature,  what  a 
chain  of  connected  navigation  shall  we  behold  ? 
and  by  looking  upon  the  map,  we  shall  find  St. 
Ijouis  the  focus  where  all  these  streams  are  dis- 
charged, the  point  where  all  this  vast  commerce 
must  centre,  and  where  the  wealth,  and  the  refine- 
ments, flowing  from  these  prolific  sources,  must 
pre-eminently  crown  her  the  queen  of  the  west. 

The  valley  of  the  Missouri  in  point  of  fertility, 
will  well  compare  with  the  delta  of  the  Nile,  and 
lies  mostly  under  a  climate  which  is  a  medium  be- 
tween the  cold  winters  of  New-England,  and  the 
hot  summers  of  Georgia.  The  soil  is  adapted  to 
the  raising  of  corn,  wheat,  rye,  oats,  flax,  hemp, 
and  tobacco.     The  flax  and  hemp  of  Boon's  Lick, 


244 

is  generally  noted  for  its  vigorous  growth,  and  the 
fineness  and  flexibility  of  its  fibres.  The  soil  ap- 
pears also  peculiarly  adapted  to  corn,  which  at- 
tains an  almost  incredible  height,  and  yields 
abundantly.  Some  of  the  stalks  will  measure 
twenty  feet,  and  as  high  as  ninety  bushels  have 
been  gathered  from  an  acre,  on  the  average  of  a 
large  field  together.  Emigration  is  now  flowing 
into  this  region  with  unexampled  rapidity,  already 
do  settlements  extend  to  the  mouth  of  the  Osage 
and  Mine  Rivers,  and  several  towns  are  in  the 
most  flourishing  condition.  The  principal  of  these 
are,  Franklin,  St.  Charles,  and  Chariton,  and 
should  emigration  proceed  at  the  rate  now  indica- 
ted, fifty  years  will  behold  the  banks  of  the  Missouri 
from  its  mouth,  to  the  La  Platte,  one  of  the  most 
populous  and  well  cultivated  tracts  in  the  western 
country.  On  the  Mississippi  also,  we  see  the 
march  of  emigration,  and  the  progress  of  improve- 
ment. The  country  is  already  settjed  as  high  as 
Salt  River,  which  is  bordered  by  a  fertile  and  exten- 
sive tract  of  land,  and  the  settlements  at  Prairie 
Du  Chien  are  in  a  very  promising  state  of  advance. 
It  is  probable  this  place  will  be  chosen  as  the  seat 
of  territorial  government,  whenever  it  becomes 
expedient  to  erect  a  separate  executive  depart- 
ment for  the  government  of  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory. 

By  extending  our  military  post  to  the  Yellow- 
stone, and  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  the  fur  trade 
of  the  northwest  regions,  and  the  Upper  Missouri, 
which  is  now  engrossed  by  the  British  traders,  and 
carried  on  through  the  Lakes  and  Montreal,  will 


245 

in  few  years,  be  turned  into  its  natural  channels, 
the  Mississippi,  and  the  Missouri.  St.  Louis  will 
then  become  the  great  depot  of  this  trade,  as 
Montreal  is  now,  and  by  the  supplies  it  will  furnish, 
and  the  furs  and  peltries  it  will  receive  in  return, 
will  add  yearly  to  its  wealth  and  increase.  This 
measure  will  also  be  attended  with  the  most  im- 
portant benefits  to  the  frontier  settlements,  who 
will  thereby  be  protected  from  savage  invasions 
and  wars,  and  be  enabled  to  extend  themselves 
into  countries,  which  would  otherwise  remain  a 
wilderness  for  at  least  half  a  century  longer.  The 
copper  mines  of  Lake  Superior,  the  lead  mines  of 
Prairie  Du  Chien,  and  of  Washington  county,  with 
the  mines  of  coal,  iron,  zinc,  manganese,  and  other 
minerals  which  abound  in  this  country,  are  also 
destined  to  accelerate  its  march  to  wealth,  civi- 
lization, and  refinement,  and  a  considerable  part 
of  the  advantages  arising  from  these,  must  always 
concentrate  at  St.  Louis. 


ARTICLE  IV. 

TOPOGRAPHICAL  ACCOUNT  OF  WHITE  RIVER 


IN 


ARKANSAW  TERRITORY, 


In  order  duly  to  estimate  the  magnitude,  posi- 
tion, character,  and  importance  of  any  of  our 
great  western  rivers,  it  is  necessary  to  consider 
the  relation  they  bear  to  each  other^  and  to  the 
surrounding  country.  A  mere  topographical  de- 
scription of  an  insulated  section  of  country,  a 
mountain,  a  stream,  or  a  mine,  may  possess  its 
value,  but  without  a  survey,  however  cursory,  of 
the  contiguous  regions,  it  must  lose  much  of  its 
interest  to  the  general  reader,  and  much  of  its  utili- 
ty to  the  geographical  student.  It  will  be  necessary 
therefore,  to  cast  a  glance  at  the  extensive  coun- 
try, in  which  this  river  lies,  before  its  individual 
consideration  can  be  profitably  commenced. 

In  looking  on  the  map  of  ancient  Louisiana,  the 
most  striking  physical  trait  presented,  is  the  Rocky, 
or  Chippewan  Mountains,  extending  from  Mexico 
into  the  unexplored  regions  north  and  west  of  Lake 
Superior,  with  the  Del  Norde,  Red  River,  the  Ar- 
kansaw,  the  Kanzas,  La  Platte,  and  Yellowstone, 
all  issuing  from  its  sides  near  the  same  point,  and 
uniting,  (with  the  exception  of  the  former,)  at  dif- 


247 

Cerent  points  in  the  vast  basin  below,  with  the  Mis- 
souri, the  Ohio,  and  the  Mississippi,  in  whose  con- 
gregated flood  they  roll  on  to  the  Mexican  Gulph. 
Other  streams  traverse  that  country,  but  these  are 
the  only  rivers  of  Louisiana,  whose  heads  rests  on 
the  Chippewan  Mountains.  Immediately  at  the 
foot  of  these  mountains,  commences  the  almost  in- 
terminable plains  of  sand,  or  desert,  which  stretches 
from  north  to  south,  for  more  than  a  thousand 
miles,  and  has  an  average  breadth  of  six  hundred. 
To  this  succeeds  the  highlands  and  mountains  of 
the  present  territories  of  Missouri  and  Arkansaw, 
and  which  preserve  a  pretty  exact  parallelism 
from  north  to  south,  with  the  Chippewan  chain, 
and  give  rise  to  several  rivers  of  secondary  magni- 
tude. This  is  again  bounded  by  the  alluvial  tract 
of  the  Mississippi,  being  the  third  grand  parallel 
division,  presented  by  the  surface  of  the  soil. 
Through  these  the  Red  River,  and  the  Arkan- 
saw, hold  their  unaltered  course,  and  reach  the 
Mississippi  without  a  fall;  while  the  Kanzas,  the 
La  Platte,  and  the  Yellowstone,  bending  north- 
ward, reach  the  Missouri,  without  meeting  any 
mountains  to  oppose  their  progress.  Those  rivers 
of  secondary  magnitude,  and  whose  origin  is  east 
of  the  highlands  bordering  the  western  desert  are 
the  Teche,  Vermillion,  Tensaw,  Washitaw,  Little 
Missouri,  Courtableau,  Bceuf,  Crocodile,  Little  Red. 
Grand  River,  White  River,  Black  River,  the  Osage. 
Merrimack,  G  asconade,  and  St.  Francis.  Of  these. 
White  River,  a  stream  hitherto  almost  wholly  un- 
known, or  only  known  to  hunters,  and  which  has 
not  received  its  deserved  rank  on  any  existing  map. 


■24.  8 


is  one  of  the  most  considerable.  It  was  therefore 
with  surprise,  that  1  found  on  travelling  into  those 
remote  regions,  so  considerable  a  stream,  unno- 
ticed by  geographers,  or  only  noticed,  to  attest 
their  want  of  information  respecting  its  length,  size, 
tributaries,  character,  productions,  and  importance. 
I  therefore  concluded,  that  a  summary  of  these 
particulars,  as  observed  by  myself  during  a  tour 
into  that  quarter,  would  be  an  acceptable  piece 
of  service,  and  with  this  view,  began  these  obser- 
vations. 

White   River    originates    among    the   Pawnee 
Mountains,  near    the  97th  degree  of  west  longi- 
tude, and  about  the  36th  of  north  latitude.     And 
after  running  in  a  very  serpentine  course  for  thir- 
teen  hundred  miles,   enters  the  Mississippi,  fifty 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansaw,  and  seven 
hundred  above  New-Orleans.     Its  waters,  unlike 
most  of  the  western   rivers,  are  beautifully  clear 
and  transparent,  being  wholly  made  up  of  springs 
which  gush  from  the  flinty  hills  that  are  found  for 
more  than  half  its  length,  within   a  few  miles  of. 
and  often  immediately  upon  its  banks.     So  much 
of  the  country  through  which  it  runs,  is  therefore 
sterile  and  rough,  but  the  immediate  margin  of  the 
river,  uniformly  presents  a  strip  of  the  richest  al- 
luvial bottom  land  from  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  width.     On  this,  corn,  wheat, 
rye,  oats,  flax,  hemp,  and  potatoes,  have  a  vigo- 
rous growth,  the  mildness  of  the  climate,  and  the 
fertility  of  the  soil  combining  to  render  it  one  of 
the  most  favourable  of  all    countries  for  the  pur- 
suits of  agriculture.     Cotton  also  succeeds  on  the 


249 

banks  of  this  river  as  high  up  as  settlements  have 
extended,  and  will  hereafter  be  an  important  item 
among  its  agricultural  productions.  The  district 
of  tillable  land  on  this  river,  like  many  others  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  is  chiefly  confined  to  its  hanks, 
which  in  few  instances  exceed  a  mile  in  width. 
Bordering  this,  is  found  a  chain  of  hills  on  either 
side,  which  sometimes  close  in  upon  the  river's 
banks  in  perpendicular  cliffs,  and  the  adjacent 
country  may  in  general  be  considered  as  sterile. 
To  this  remark,  all  its  tributaries  maybe  considered 
as  exceptions,  for  they  invariably  afford,  however 
small,  strips  of  the  most  fertile  lands,  covered  with 
a  heavy  growth  of  forest  trees  and  underbrush. 
The  cane  is  also  common  to  this  stream  in  its 
whole  course,  and  affords  a  nutritious  food  for 
cows,  horses,  and  hogs,  who  are  fond  of,  and  fatten 
upon  it.  This  plant  being  an  evergreen,  cattle  may 
feed  upon  it  all  winter,  and  it  is  accordingly  given 
to  cattle  and  horses,  by  the  Indians  and  hunters. 
as  a  substitute  for  hay. 

The  only  inhabitants  on  the  upper  parts  of 
White  River,  so  far  as  inhabitants  have  penetra- 
ted, are  hunters,  who  live  in  camps  and  log  cabins, 
and  support  themselves  by  hunting  the  bear,  deer, 
buffaloe,  elk,  beaver,  racoon,  and  other  animals 
who  are  found  in  great  plenty  in  that  region.  They 
also  raise  some  corn  for  bread,  and  for  feeding 
their  horses,  on  preparing  for  long  journeys  into 
the  woods,  or  other  extraordinary  occasions.  They 
seldom,  however,  cultivate  more  than  an  acre  or 
two,  subsisting  chiefly  on  animal  food  and  wild 
honey,  and  pay  no  attention  to  the  cultivation  of 

32 


250 

garden  vegetables,  if  I  except  some  cabbages, 
noticed  at  a  few  habitations.  When  the  season  of 
hunting  arrives,  the  ordinary  labours  of  a  man 
about  the  house  and  corn-field  devolve  upon  the 
women,  whose  condition  in  such  a  state  of  society 
may  readily  be  imagined.  They  in  fact  pursue  a 
similar  course  of  life  with  the  savages  ;  having  em- 
braced their  love  of  ease,  and  their  contempt  for 
agricultural  pursuits,  with  their  sagacity  in  the 
chace,  their  mode  of  dressing  in  skins,  their  man- 
ners, and  their  hospitality  to  strangers. 

The  furs  and  peltries  which  are  collected  dur- 
ing repeated  excursions  in  the  woods,  are  taken 
down  the  river  at  certain  seasons  in  canoes,   and 
disposed  of  to  traders,  who  visit  the  lower  parts  of 
this  river  for  that  purpose.     Here  they  receive  in 
exchange  for  their  furs,  woollen  cloths,  rifles,  knives 
and  hatchets,  salt,  powder,  lead,  iron  for  horse 
shoes,  blankets,  iron  pots,  shoes,  and  other  arti- 
cles of  primary  importance  in  their  way  of  life. 
Those  living  near  the  cultivated  parts  of  Lawrence 
County,  in  Arkansaw  Territory,  also  bring  down 
in  exchange  for  such  articles,  buffaloe  beef,  pork, 
bears'  meat,  bees'  wax,  and  honey ;  which  are 
again  sold  by  the  traders  along  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  or  at  New-Orleans.     Very  little  cash 
is  paid,  and  that  in  hard  money  only,  no  bank  bills 
of  any  kind  being  taken  in  that  quarter.     I  hap- 
pened to  be  present,  on  my  return  from  the  head 
waters  of  White  River,  at  one  of  these  exchanges, 
where  a  further  opportunity  was  offered  of  observ- 
ing the  manners  and  character  of  these  savage 
Europeans.     Bears'  meat  was  sold  at  $10  perewt. 


251 

buffaloe  beef  at  $4 ;  cows'  beef  at  $3 ;  pork,  in  the 
hog,  at  $3.50;   venison  hams  at  25  cents  each; 
wild  turkies  the  same;  wild  honey  at  $1  per  gal- 
lon ;  beaver  fur  $2  per  lb. ;  bears'  skins  $  1.50  each ; 
otters' skins  $2  apiece;  racoon  25  cents  each; 
deers'  skins  25  cents  per  lb.     These  prices  were 
considered  high  by  the  purchaser,  but  they  were 
only  nominally  so,  for  he  paid  them  off  in  articles 
at  the  most  exorbitant  rates.  Common  three-point 
or  Mackinaw    blankets  were   sold    at  $8   each ; 
butcher  knives  at  $2;  rifle  locks  at  $8;  common 
coarse  blue  cloth  at  $6  per  yard ;  coffee  at  75 
cents  per  lb. ;  salt  at  $5  per  bushel;  lead  at  25 
cents  per  lb. ;  gunpowder  at  $2  per  lb. ;  axes  at 
$6  each;  horse  shoe  nails  at  $3  per  set,  &c.     The 
trade  of  this  river  is  consequently  attended  with 
profits  which  amply  repay  for  the  risks  and  fatigues 
incident  to  a  voyage  in  that  quarter.     Vast  quan- 
tities of  furs  and  skins  are  annually  brought  down 
this  river,  with  some  bees'  wax,  honey,  beef,  ba- 
con,  &c.  and    whenever   the    hunter  population 
yields  to  the  farming  and  mechanical  class,  the  list 
of  its  productions  will  be  swelled  by  corn,  rye, 
wheat,  oats,  flax,  hemp,  and  cotton ;  a  sufficiency 
of  each  of  which  has  already  been  raised,  to  show 
that  the  climate  and  soil  are  well  adapted  to  their 
culture.     Its  mineral  products  may  also  claim  our 
future  attention.     Iron  ore,  lead,  zinc,  and  manga- 
nese, have  already  been  discovered  ;  and  among 
its  earthy  minerals  may  be  enumerated  marble, 
flint,  agate,  jasper,  hornstone,  and  rock  crystal ; 
specimens  of  which,  Avitb  some  others,  I  pick- 
ed up  during  my  journey  there.      Caves    with 


252 

nitre  are  also  common,  and  large  forests  of  pine 
timber,  which  will  be  wanted  in  the  progressing 
settlements  on  the  Mississippi,  are  situated  on  its 
northern  tributaries,  and  may  be  floated  down  at 
an  inconsiderable  expense. 

White  River  runs  in  its  whole  length  through  a 
section  of  country,  which  according  to  a  recent 
political  division,  belongs  to  the  Territory  of  Ar- 
kansaw;  but  several  of  its  tributaries  originate  in 
Missouri,  the  chief  of  which  are  James  River, 
Great  North  Fork,  or  Pine  River,  and  Black  River, 
with  its  auxiliaries,  Currents,  Fourche  a  Thomas, 
Spring  River,  Eleven-points,  and  Strawberry  River. 

About  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  below  the 
Pawnee  Mountains,  the  main  south  fork  of  White 
River  is  joined  by  the  War  Eagle,  and  Osage  Forks, 
forming  what  is  known  among  hunters  as  the  three 
forks  of  White  River,  a  region  remarkable  for  the 
abundance  of  beaver  found  in  its  streams.  In  the 
course  of  the  succeeding  two  hundred  miles  it  is 
joined  by  King's  River  and  Tower  Creek  on  the 
south,  and  by  the  Waterbolt  or  Roaring  Fork,  and 
James  River  on  the  north,  the  latter  being  by  far 
the  largest  stream  it  has  thus  far  received,  and 
contributing  nearly  as  much  water  as  all  the  others 
put  together.  From  the  mouth  of  James  River  to 
its  junction  with  the  Mississippi,  it  is  successively 
joined  by  Long,  Bull,  Swan,  Beaver,  and  Big 
Creeks,  by  the  Little  North  Fork,  the  Great  North 
Fork  or  Pine  River,  Black  River,  Bayou  deLoutsho, 
and  Cash  River,  on  the  north ;  and  on  the  south  by 
Bear  Creek,  Crooked  Creek,  Buffaioe  Fork,  and 
Little  Red  River;  and  it  is  finally  connected  with 


253 

ihe  Arkansaw  River  by  a  natural  canal  called  he 
cut  off,  about  thirty  miles  above  its  junction  vith 
the  Mississippi,  and  which  affords  a  navigade 
water  communication  at  all  seasons.  Many  ofhe 
above  tributaries  are  streams  of  no  ordinary  mg- 
nitude,  and  afford  boat  navigation  for  many  hn- 
dred  miles ;  and  they  are  all  characterized  >y 
strips  of  rich  alluvial  lands  on  their  banks.  Jaies 
River,  Buffaloe  Fork,  Great  North  Fork,  Blck 
River,  and  Little  Red  River,  merit  individual  it- 
tention. 

James  River.  This  stream  originates  in  hih- 
lands  a  few  miles  south  of  the  Gasconade,  in  IVs- 
souri  Territory,  and  after  running  in  a  southwst 
direction  for  two  hundred  miles,  in  the  courseof 
which  it  is  swelled  by  Findley's  River,  and)j 
other  streams,  forms  a  junction  with  White  Risr 
one  thousand  miles  above  its  mouth.  Its  watrs 
have  the  purity  of  crystal ;  it  lies  under  a  climte 
the  most  mild,  salubrious,  and  delightful ;  andon 
its  banks  are  situated  a  body  of  the  most  ferile 
and  beautiful  lands  which  the  whole  valley  of  he 
Mississippi  affords.  The  timber  on  its  bank  is 
abundant,  a  remark  which  cannot  with  justic<  be 
made  of  many  parts  of  the  adjacent  country,  u\d 
is  remarkable  for  its  size  and  its  value,  and  notiiig 
can  exceed  the  vigour  and  the  verdure  of  vegettbe 
nature  on  this  beautiful  and  neglected  str*an. 
Prairies  are  also  found  within  a  mile  of  its  westen 
banks,  and  extend  towards  the  Grand  Osage, is 
far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  level  as  a  graduafed 
plain,  and  waving  with  tall  grass,  on  which  the  flk? 


231 

theBuftaloe,  and  the  Deer,  feed  in  countless  num- 
bes. 

lindley  River  forms  a  junction  with  this  stream, 
ner  the  centre  of  this  choice  body  of  land,  and 
abut  one  hundred  miles  above  its  mouth.    Twen- 
ty liles  above  the  junction  of  these  streams,  on 
tlnimmediate  banks  of  James  River,  are  situated 
so|e  valuable  lead  mines,  which  have  been  known 
to  he  Osage  Indians,   and  to  some  White  River 
huters,  for  many  years.     The  Indians  have  been 
in  he  habit  of  procuring  lead  for  bullets  at  that 
pice,  by  smelting  the  ore  in  a  kind  of  furnace, 
mde  by  digging  a  pit  in  the  ground,  and  casing  it, 
wh  some  flat  stones,  placed  so  as  to  resemble  the 
rof  of  a  house  inverted; — such  is  the  richness  of 
tlnore,  and  the  ease  with  which  it  melts.     The 
on  has  not,   however,   been  properly  explored, 
an  it  is  impossible  to  say  how  extensive  the  beds 
oreins  may  prove.     Some  zinc,  in  the  state  of  a 
suthuret,  is  found  accompanying  it.    There  is  not 
one  inhabitant  on  all  this  stream;   my  own  cabin, 
ereted  for  a  temporary  purpose  at  the  mines  in 
Jamary  last,  is  the  only  human  habitation  within 
twohundred  miles  of  that  place. 

3'ffaloe  Fork.  This  river  originates  near  the 
i  banks  of  the  Arkansaw,  and  after  traversing 
£ro;ky  country  for  about  one  hundred  and  eighty 
riles  in  a  northeast  course,  joins  White  River  at 
t  c  Buffaloe  Shoals,  about  seven  hundred  miles 
a>ove  the  Mississippi.  It  is  a  fine  region  for  game, 
aid  affords  some  good  lands. 

Ireat  North  Fork,  or  Pine  River.     This  is   a 
stream  of  two  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  a  hun- 


2/>5 

dred  yards  wide  at  its  mouth.  Its  waters  are  clear, 
being  entirely  made  up  of  springs,  which  are  nu- 
merous all  along  its  banks,  but  the  navigation  is 
interrupted  by  rapids.  It  originates  with  James 
River  and  the  Gasconade,  in  a  ridge  of  high  land, 
which  throws  a  part  of  its  waters  into  the  Missouri, 
and  a  part  into  the  Mississippi,  the  streams  run- 
ning in  opposite  directions.  In  travelling  into 
that  country,  I  accidentally  arrived  at  the  extreme 
head  of  this  river,  where  it  consists  only  of  some 
drizzling  springs,  and  pursued  it  down,  in  all  its 
windings,  to  its  junction  with  White  River,  about 
twelve  miles  below  the  mouth  of  Buffaloe  Fork. 
It  is  bordered  on  both  sides  by  limestone  bluffs, 
covered  generally  with  tall  pines,  and  affording 
some  detached  strips  of  valuable  land.  On  the 
whole,  it  must,  however,  be  considered  a  sterile 
region,  which  will  never  admit  of  a  dense  popula- 
tion. The  bottoms  are  overrun  by  cane,  and  brier, 
which  render  travelling  extremely  fatiguing. 

This  stream  appears  generally  to  have  been 
considered  by  geographers  as  the  head  of  White 
River,  which  is  accordingly  made  to  originate 
on  most  maps  at  this  place.  The  error  has  been, 
in  some  degree,  corrected  in  Robinson's  new  map 
of  Louisiana,  lately  published  at  Natchez,  which 
may  be  esteemed  the  best  map  extant  respecting 
that  section  of  country.     He  calls  it  Pine  River. 

Black  River.  This  large,  deep,  and  gentle  river, 
is  composed  of  numerous  auxiliary  streams,  which 
draw  their  waters  from  the  counties  of  Wayne, 
New-Madrid,  and  Lawrence,  the  two  former  lying 
in  Missouri  Territory,  and  the  latter  in  Arkansaw. 


256 

U  is  navigable  with  boats  of  the  largest  burden,  at 
all  seasons  of  the  year,  for  more  than  one  hundred 
miles.  Little  Black,  Currents,  Fourche  a  Thomas, 
Eleven-points,  Spring  River,  and  Strawberry  Ri- 
ver, are  all  streams  of  considerable  size,  coming  in 
on  the  west,  and  deserve  particular  notice  on  the 
future  maps  of  that  country.  Their  banks  af- 
ford choice  bodies  of  fertile  lands,  which  are 
already  the  seat  of  many  plantations  and  farms, 
where  corn,  rye,  wheat,  oats,  flax,  hemp,  and  cot- 
ton, are  raised  in  the  greatest  perfection,  and  the 
settlements  are  rapidly  increasing.  Considerable 
quantities  of  beef  and  pork  are  also  put  up  for  the 
New-Orleans  market,  every  facility  being  afforded 
by  the  luxuriance  of  grass  in  the  woods,  and 
the  abundance  of  acorns  in  the  fall,  for  raising 
and  fattening  hogs  and  cattle.  Lawrence  coun- 
ty is  generally  considered  among  the  first  farm- 
ing districts,  west  of  the  Mississippi.  Davidson- 
ville,  the  seat  of  justice  for  this  county,  is  situa- 
ted on  the  west  bank  of  Black  River,  at  the  junc- 
tion of  Spring  River.  The  settlements  on  Straw- 
berry River,  on  the  Currents,  Fourche  a  Thomas, 
Poke  Bayou,  and  other  places,  are  in  a  flourishing 
state  of  advance. 

Little  Red  River.  This  stream  issues  near  the 
sources  of  Buffalo  Fork,  and  runs  parallel  with  the 
Arkansaw  for  a  great  distance,  but  inclines  gradu- 
ally to  the  northeast,  and  joins  White  River,  about 
two  hundred  miles  above  its  mouth.  Jt  affords  a 
considerable  body  of  choice  land,  but  is  subject 
to  very  sudden  rises,  which  overflow  its  banks. 


257 

and  have  retarded,  in  some  degree,  the  further 
settlement  of  its  valley. 

Such  are  the  principal  tributaries  of  White  River, 
a  stream  which  is  navigable  with  keel-boats  of  30 
tons  burthen,  to  the  foot  of  Buffaloe  Shoals,  a  dis- 
tance of  seven  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth,  and 
may  be  ascended  with  light  vessels  five  hundred 
miles  higher.  It  draws  its  waters  from  a  district 
of  country  about  three  hundred  miles  in  width,  by 
seven  or  eight  hundred  in  length,  having  on  its 
borders  and  tributaries  large  bodies  of  very  rich 
lands,  mixed  with  much  that  is  poor  and  unfit  for 
cultivation,  but  taking  into  view  its  advantageous 
situation  for  commerce,  its  political  relation  to  the 
two  territories  in  a  part  of  each  of  which  it  lies,  and 
the  extensive  bodies  of  farming  lands  on  James 
River,  Buffaloe  Fork,  and  Black  River,  we  may  an- 
ticipate the  period  when  a  large  population  shall 
find  their  support  on  its  banks — when  numerous 
villages  and  towns  shall  decorate  its  banks  and 
the  productive  labour  of  its  inhabitants  swell 
greatly  the  commerce  of  the  westerncountry  while 
they  themselves  command  an  important  influence 
in  its  political  transactions. 


33 


ARTICLE  V. 
MISCELLANEOUS  INFORMATION. 


Sec. 

1. 

Hot  Springs  of  Ouachitta. 

Sec. 

2. 

List  of  Steam-boats  on  the  Mississippi. 

Sec. 

3. 

Precious  Stones  of  Missouri. 

Sec. 

4. 

Manganese. 

Sec. 

5. 

Antique  Silver  Cup. 

Sec. 

6. 

Lead  Mines  of  Millersburg,  Kentucky. 

Sec. 

7. 

Antique  Glasses  in  Hamburgh,  New- 
York. 

Sec. 

8. 

Dwarf  Skeletons. 

SECTION  I. 

Hot  Springs  of  Ouachitta^  (  Washitaw.} 

The  attention  of  the  traveller  in  the  interior  of 
Missouri  and  Arkansaw,  is  frequently  arrested  by 
the  novelty  of  the  scenery,  and  the  wild  and  singu- 
larly fanciful  aspect  of  the  country ;  and  he  is  of- 
ten induced  to  stop  to  survey  some  cavern,  water- 
fall, high  loose-hanging  cliff,  or  other  natural 
phenomenon.  But  if  the  country  be  surveyed  with 
a  single  eye  to  its  natural  curiosities,  the  Hot 
Springs  of  Washitaw  will  be  found  by  far  the  most 
wonderful  and  interesting  of  any  yet  noticed. 


259 

These  springs,  which  have  been  known  for  ma= 
ny  years,  are  situated  on  a  stream  called  Hot 
Spring  Creek,  which  falls  into  the  Washitaw  River 
eight  miles  below.  They  lie  fifty  miles  south  of 
the  Arkansaw  River,  in  Clark  county,  territory  of 
Arkansaw,  (lately  Missouri,)  and  six  miles  W.  of 
the  road  from  Cadron  to  Mount  Prairie  on  Red 
River. 

The  approach  to  the  Springs  lies  up  the  valley 
of  the  creek,  which  is  partly  made  up  of  its  waters. 
On  leaving  the  banks  of  the  W  ashitaw,  the  face  of 
the  country  almost  imperceptibly  changes  from  a 
rich  soil,  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  trees, 
to  a  sterile  mineral  tract,  and  oncoming  near  the 
springs,  the  traveller  is  presented  with  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  views  of  nature.  On  the  right 
hand  rises  the  Hot  Mountain,  with  the  springs 
issuing  at  its  foot;  on  the  left,  the  Cold  Mountain, 
which  is  little  more  than  a  confused  and  mighty 
pile  of  stones,  and  the  view  in  front  is  terminated 
by  a  high  point  of  land,  which  makes  down  gradu- 
ally into  the  valley,  and  separates  the  creek  into 
two  forks,  of  nearly  equal  size. 

The  Hot  Mountain  is  about  three  hundred  feet 
high,  rising  quite  steep,  and  presenting  occasion- 
ally ledges  of  rocks,  and  terminates  at  top  in  a 
confused  mass  of  broken  rocks,  with  here  and 
there  a  pine  or  oak  tree.  Its  sides,  notwithstand- 
ing their  sterility  and  the  steepness  of  the  ascent,  are 
covered  by  a  most  luxuriant  growth  of  vines,  par- 
ticularly muscadine,  the  fruit  of  which  is  delicious. 
Haws  and  blackberries  are  also  found  in  great 
abundance. 


260 

The  Cold  Mountain  is  separated  from  the  Hot, 
by  a  valley  of  about  fifty  yards  wide,  through  which 
the  creek  flows,  is  nearly  as  steep  as  the  other, 
about  of  an  equal  height,  and  terminates  in  the  same 
confused  manner.  Some  pine  trees  are  found  on 
it,  but  its  side  are  destitute  of  vegetation. 

The  springs  issue  near  the  foot  of  the  Hot 
Mountain,  at  an  elevation  of  about  ten  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  creek.  They  are  very  numerous 
all  along  the  hill  side,  and  the  water,  which  runs 
in  copious  streams,  is  quite  hot.  It  will  scald  the 
hand,  and  boil  an  egg  hard  in  ten  minutes.  Its 
temperature  is  considered  that  of  boiling  water,  but 
Doct.  Andrews  of  Red  River,  tells  me  it  cannot  be 
reckoned  over  200°  of  Fahrenheit.  There  is  a 
solitary  spring,  situated  seventy  feet  higher  than 
the  others,  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  but  it  is 
also  of  an  equal  temperature,  and  differs  in  no  re- 
spect from  those  below.  A  dense  fog  continually 
hangs  over  the  springs,  and  upon  the  side  of  the 
hill,  which  at  a  distance,  looks  like  a  number  of 
furnaces  in  blast.  It  is  this  fog,  which  is  water  in 
the  state  of  vapour,  which  is  probably  condensed 
by  the  cold  air  at  night,  and  produces  such  a  rank 
growth  of  vines  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  where 
otherwise  there  would  hardly  exist  a  sign  of  vege- 
table life. 

An  idea  of  the  beneficial  effects  of  this  water  is 
generally  prevalent  throughout  the  territory,  and 
numbers  annually  resort  to  the  springs.  They  are 
thought  serviceable  in  rheumatisms,  ulcers,  sore- 
eyes,  dropsy,  and  pains  in  the  breast :  and  are 
said  to   prove   efficacious   in    all  chronic   com- 


261 

plaints.  The  method  of  using  the  water  is  vari- 
ous. Bathing  and  sweating,  are  generally  resorted 
to.  It  is  also  drank  as  hot  as  can  be  borne,  and  is 
not  productive  of  nausea  in  the  stomach,  like  com- 
mon warm  water.  Of  the  chymical  or  medicinal 
properties  of  the  water,  little  is  known.  An  analy- 
sis is  said  to  have  been  made,  which  indicated  a 
little  carbonat  of  lime.  The  water  looks  extremely 
clear,  pure,  and  beautiful,  and  the  substances 
which  are  united  with  it,  (if  any  besides  caloric  and 
//me,)  are  held  in  solution,  for  it  deposits  no  sedi- 
ment by  standing. 

There  is  abundance  of  a  beautiful  green  moss 
growing  in  the  springs,  near  the  edges,  and  their 
devious  courses  to  the  creek  below,  are  only  indi- 
cated by  a  more  vigorous  growth  of  grass  and  moss 
all  along  the  borders,  and  a  brighter  green.  That 
warm  water  is  a  most  stimulating  food  for  plants 
has  been  frequently  asserted.  A  satisfactory  evi- 
dence is  here  afforded  of  it. 

The  mineralogical  character  of  the  country 
around  the  springs,  is  highly  interesting.  Three 
miles  above,  is  a  quarry  of  oil-stone,  (novacidite,) 
of  the  most  valuable  kind.  The  stone  has  a 
very  compact  texture,  is  heavy,  translucent,  and 
gives  a  fine  edge  to  a  razor,  &c.  It  is  consi- 
dered equal  to  those  imported  from  Turkey.  The 
rock  formations  here,  are  limestone,  slate,  and 
quartz.  Veins  of  white  quartz  are  found  running 
through  the  slate  rock  four  or  five  feet  wide,  and 
detached  pieces  of  it,  beautifully  crystallized, 
(rock-crystal,)  are  found  in  plenty  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  springs.     A  vein  of  singular  earth,  a  * 


262 

kind  of  lithomarge,  is  also  found  at  the  springs.  It 
is  soft,  like  clay,  of  a  soponaceous  feel,  and  of  a 
texture  so  delicately  fine,  that  it  feels  to  the  touch 
like  satin.  It  would  probably  operate  as  a  deter- 
gent to  the  oily  particles  of  newly  woven  cloth, 
and  in  this  respect  answer  the  purposes  of  ful- 
ler's earth. 

At  the  Cove  on  Washitaw  River,  fifteen  miles 
below  the  springs,  there  is  a  body  of  loadstone, 
also  white,  and  blue  vitriol,  iron  ores,  and  mica. 
Unmagnetical  pyrites  of  iron,  of  a  brass-yellow 
colour,  and  crsytallized  in  cubes,  is  also  the 
product  of  that  neighbourhood;  and  there  is  a 
stone,  which  on  burning  and  exposure  to  the  air, 
yields  a  saline  substance,  of  the  nature  of  Glauber's 
salts. 

The  Hot  Springs  are  situated  on  public  land, 
which  is  only  valuable  on  account  of  the  springs, 
and  such  minerals  as  may  exist  in  that  quarter. 
It  is  too  sterile  for  farming.  A  New-Madrid  claim 
has  been  lately  laid  upon  them,  by  colonels  Ham- 
mond and  Rector,  of  St.  Louis,  and  by  some  others, 
so  that  the  title  is  in  dispute.  They  are  destined 
to  become  a  place  of  great  resort, — the  Ballston  of 
the  south. 


263 
SECTION  II. 


List  of  steam  boats  on  the  Mississippi  and  its 
tributary  streams.  (1819.) 


No.     Names.         Tonnage. 

1.  Etna 200, 

2.  Vesuvius  .. .  .280, 

3.  Orleans 200, 

4.  Alabama  ....300, 

5.  Columbus...  400, 

6.  Tamerlane    ..200, 

7.  James  Ross  .  .250, 

8.  United  States  500, 

9.  Paragon    . . .  .250, 

10.  Thos.  Jefferson  200, 

11.  Ohio 300, 

12.  Gen.  Jackson  100, 

13.  Maysville 152, 

14.  Exchange . . . .154, 

15.  Volcano    ....  1 40, 

16.  Madison    ....100, 

17.  Kentucky ....  60, 

18.  Hecla    100, 

19.  Napoleon  ....200, 

20.  Washington  ..150, 

21.  Buffaloe    100, 

22.  James  Monroe    70, 

23.  Cincinnati     ..  85, 

24.  St.  Louis 200, 

25.  General  Pike    75, 

26.  Independence    100, 

27.  St.  Louis  Pack- 


et 


•    •••«•    '  T  M  *- 


No.  Names.       Tonnage. 

28.  Ramapo    ....100, 

29.  Rising  States   150, 

30.  Maid  of  Orleans  100, 

31.  Hamlet 100, 

32.  Perseverance      50, 

33.  Johnson    ....  75, 

34.  Eagle    100, 

35.  Vesta    110, 

36.  Harriet 40, 

37.  Constitution  . .  45, 

38.  Louisiana  ....  60, 

39.  Gov.  Shelby..  60, 

40.  Franklin  ....  80,  (sunk) 

41.  Rifleman  ....  60, 

42.  Newport    ....  45, 

43.  Expedition   . .  150, 

44.  General  Clark  150, 

45.  Henderson    . .  150, 

46.  Tornado    250, 

47.  Elizabeth  . . .  .175, 

48.  Missouri  Pack- 

et  100, 

49.  Post  Boy  (for  passengers 

only) 

50.  West.  Engineer  40. 


7,306  Tons. 


264 

In  addition  to  this,  there  are  two  new  boats 
building  at  Pittsburgh,  one  at  Wheeling,  one  at 
Steubenville,  one  at  Marietta,  two  at  Cincinnati, 
one  at  Frankford,  two  at  Shippingport,  one  at  Ma- 
dison, and  two  at  New  Albany,  making  a  total 
number  of  sixty-three.  There  are  also  several 
more  in  contemplation,  so  that  it  is  probable  ano- 
ther year  will  considerably  augment  the  number. 
The  first  steam  boat  on  the  western  waters,  was 
built  at  Pittsburgh  in  1 81 1 ,  eight  years  ago.  Hence 
it  appears  there  has  been  an  average  increase  of 
eight  boats  per  annum ;  but  by  far  the  greatest 
proportion  have  been  built  within  the  last  three 
years. 
7306  Tons  at  4  cents  per  lb.  freight  up 

from  New-Orleans,  amounts  to  $584,480.00 

7,306  Tons  at   1   cent  per  lb.  freight 

down  to  New-Orleans  146,120.00 

10 passengers  down  in  each  boat  at  $60     39,800.00 

5      do.  up  in  each  boat  at  $100      31,500.00 


$801,900.00 


It  is  presumable  that  each  boat  will  perform 
three  trips  to  and  from  New-Orleans  per  annum ; 
which  will  make  an  aggregate  amount  of  freight 
and  passage  money  of  $2,40.5,700.00  per  annum. 
From  this  some  idea  of  the  trade,  population,  and 
business  of  the  vast  valley  of  the  Mississippi  may 
be  formed.  And  let  it  be  remembered  at  the 
same  time,  that  the  transportation  of  merchandise 
is  not  wholly  done  by  steam  boats.  The  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  are  still  lined   with  keel  boats  and 


265 

barges,  and  much  of  the  produce  is  still  carried  to 
market  in  flat-bottomed  boats,  of  a  temporary  con- 
struction, which  are  not  calculated  to  ascend  the 
stream,  and  are  generally  sold  for  a  trifle,  or  aban- 
doned. 

The  following  is  extracted  from  a  comparative 
statement  of  the  increase  of  the  principal  articles 
of  produce,  which  have  come  to  the  New-Orleans 
market  for  a  period  of  three  years. 

Productions.  1815.  1816.  1817. 

Bacon  &  Hams,  cwt.    7000  13,000  18,000 

Butter,  lbs.                   600  1,800 

Cotton,  bales  60,000  65,000  65,000 

Corn,  bushels  120,000  130,000  140,000 

Flour,  barrels  75,000  98,000  190,000 

Molasses,  gallons  500,000  800,000  1,000,000 

Pork,  barrels  8,000  9,700  22,000 

Sugar,  hhds.  5,000  7,300  28,000 

Taffia,  gallons  150,000  300,000  400,000 

Tobacco,  hhds.  5,000  7,300  28,000 

Wheat,  bushels           95,000 

Whiskey,  gallons  150,000  230.000  250,000 


SECTION  III. 

Precious  Stones  of  Missouri. 

Ascending  the  Mississippi  River  with  a  particu- 
lar view  to  the  mineralogical  character  of  the 
country,  I  have  been  enabled  to  detect  several 
minerals  of  a  rare  and  useful  kind,  which  a  less  at- 

34 


266 

tentive  observer  may  have  passed  unnoticed ;  and 
among  them,  cornelian,  jasper,  and  opal,  may  be  par- 
ticularly mentioned. 

Several  specimens  of  these  gems,  now  before 
me,  were  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi, 
at  the  Grand  Tower,  Herculaneum,  and  St.  Louis ; 
and  for  transparency,  hardness,  and  riches  of  co- 
lour, are  only  excelled  by  the  finest  oriental  speci- 
mens. 

The  avidity  with  which  they  are  sought  by 
lapidaries,  and  the  high  value  set  upon  them  from 
the  remotest  antiquity,  and  by  all  nations,  gives 
the  subject  additional  importance,  and  may  render 
some  further  particulars  acceptable.  The  traffic 
in  those  articles  has  been  almost  wholly  confined 
to  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  while  the  new  world 
has  been  considered  destitute  of  them.  At  least, 
but  few  traces  of  them  have  been  discovered  in 
North  America,  and  none  have  heretofore  been 
afforded  by  the  United  States.  But  the  more  we 
examine  into  the  mineral  character  of  our  country, 
the  more  interesting  is  it  found,  and  every  year  is 
adding  some  new  item  to  the  catalogue  of  useful 
minerals.  Hence  the  opinion  is  imperceptibly 
acquiring  strength,  that  it  is  the  neglect  which  this 
department  of  science  has  experienced,  (and  not 
the  poverty  of  our  streams  and  mountains)  that  has 
heretofore  prevented  us  from  setting  a  proper  es- 
timate upon  the  mineral  resources  of  our  diversi- 
fied and  extensive  country. 

1.  Carnelian.  Of  this  stone  I  have  eleven  speci- 
mens. The  colour  of  the  first  five  is  blood-red. 
intermingled  with   flesh-red,   and  honey  yellow. 


267 

and  exhibiting  altogether  a  clouded  appearance 
They  are  transparent  in  a  considerable  degree, 
possess  much  lustre,  and  so  hard  as  not  to  be 
scratched  by  the  file ;  nor  does  the  nitric  or  muri- 
atic acid  affect  them  in  the  least.  The  several 
pieces  are  in  the  shape  of  detached  lumps  of  an 
elliptical  figure ;  or  fragments  of  no  determinate 
shape,  possessing  a  smooth  conchoidal  fracture. 
The  sixth  specimen  is  globular,  of  a  clear  honey 
yellow,  intermixed  on  one  side  with  dark  red  spots, 
and  on  the  other  presenting  two  sections  of  a  cir- 
cle joined  at  their  opposite  extremities,  and  com- 
posed of  concentric  lamina  of  a  reddish  hue,  giving 
the  whole,  when  held  up  to  the  light,  an  appear- 
ance  of  singular  beauty.  The  other  five  specimens 
are  of  an  uniform  smoke-brown  colour,  and  pos- 
sess considerable  transparency. 

2.  Jasper.  A  specimen  of  this  now  before  ike, 
is  the  fragment  of  a  nodule  or  oviform  piece  which 
has  been  broken  nearly  through  its  centre  longi- 
tudinally. The  fracture  is  smooth  conchoidal. 
It  is  perfectly  opaque,  and  shining,  and  consists  of 
concentric  layers  of  olive  green,  alternating  with 
yellowish-brown.  Another  specimen  is  flesh  and 
rose-red,  in  alternate  stripes  ;  and  a  third  is  striped 
blue  and  white. 

3.  Opal  Of  this  rare  stone  I  have  only  suc- 
ceeded in  procuring  one  specimen ;  it  is,  however, 
one  of  incomparable  beauty.  The  colour  is  such 
a  compound  of  blue,  yellow,  and  white,  as  charac- 
terizes the  richest  oriental  specimens ;  neither 
can  be  said  to  predominate,  but  are  so  blended  as 


208 

to  present  a  changeable  hue  when  held  in  different 
directions  to  the  light.  The  lustre  is  pearly  :  in 
transparency  it  is  opalescent.  The  outside  is  rough, 
and  has  a  vitreous  appearance. 

In  addition  to  these,  it  may  be  mentioned  that 
some  stones  of  great  lustre,  transparency  and  hard- 
ness, and  of  a  rich  uniform  yellow  colour,  are  also 
found,  and  which  appear  to  me  to  partake  of  the 
character  of  the  Brazilian  topaz.  The  Mississippi 
also  affords  tabular  pieces  of  a  silicious  stone,  so 
colourless  and  transparent,  that  they  would  proba- 
bly be  considered  as  Scotch  pebble  by  the  lapida- 
ries. Of  both  of  these,  I  possess  numerous  speci- 
mens. 

These  stones  are  all  brought  down  the  Missis- 
sippi during  the  spring  floods,  when  the  water 
runs  with  the  utmost  velocity,  and  are  washed  up  on 
those  sand  bars,  islands,  and  beaches  of  the  river, 
against  which  the  current  sets  the  strongest.  Of 
their  original  situation,  we  can  only  form  conjec- 
tures. They  are  probably  afforded  by  one  of  the 
head  streams  of  the  Mississippi.  The  Missouri  is 
not  characterised  by  them,  and  they  are  reported 
to  be  in  greater  plenty  above  than  below  its  junction 
with  the  Mississippi.  Rock  River  and  the  River 
Desmoines,  are  said  to  be  characterised  by  a  sin- 
gular variety  of  stones  and  rocks,  and  may  proba- 
bly be  the  sources  from  which  these  fragments 
have  been  carried  down.  Desmoines  enters  the 
Mississippi,  two  hundred  and  thirty-three  miles 
above  St.  Louis,  and  Rock  River,  three  hundred 
and  ninety  miles,  which  is  about  one  hundred  and 


269 

twenty-seven  miles  below  the  lead  mines  of  Prairie 
l)u  Chien. 


SECTION  IV. 

Manganese. 

"This  useful  mineral  has  recently beea  discover- 
ed on  Big  Sandy  River,  in  the  vicinity  of  Green- 
upsburg,  Kentucky,  where  it  is  said  to  exist  in 
great  abundance,  and  judging  from  the  external 
character  of  a  sample  in  my  possession,  I  am  led 
to  think  it  is  of  a  quality  no  way  inferior  to  that  of 
foreign  production. 

"  Manganese  is  a  heavy  black,  metallic  sub- 
stance, resembling  in  the  more  perfect  specimens 
cast  iron,  and  soiling  the  fingers  like  soot.  It  is 
employed  in  the  arts  by  the  bleacher,  potter,  and 
glass-maker,  and  for  the  purpose  of  experiment  in 
the  laboratory  of  the  chymist.  By  the  bleacher 
it  is  used  in  the  preparation  of  oxy-mnriatic  acid, 
according  to  the  method  of  bleaching  now  univer- 
sally pursued.  By  the  potter  it  is  employed  in 
communicating  a  black  glazing  to  the  ware.  By  the 
glass-maker  for  depriving  his  compositions  of  the 
green  hue  given  by  iron,  and  occasionally  as  a 
colouring  ingredient :  and  by  the  chymist,  for  pro- 
curing oxygen  gas,  which  substance  it  yields  in 
great  abundance.  Its  importance  as  an  item  in 
the  catalogue  of  useful  minerals  afforded  by  the 
United   States,  is  therefore  considerable;  and  it 


70 


may  be  regarded  as  an  advantageous  discovery  in  a 
country  which  has  hitherto  been  supplied  with  this 
article,  exclusively  by  Great  Britain,  imported 
either  directly  from  the  island  of  Britain,  or  from 
her  dependencies  in  Nova  Scotia." 

The  above  was  originally  inserted  in  the  Ken- 
tucky Herald,  a  paper  printed  at  Louisville,  under 
the  signature  of  "  A  Traveller."  Manganese  is 
also  found  on  the  Merrimack  River,  in  Missouri ; 
at  Bennington,  Barre,  and  Monckton,  in  Vermont; 
and  at  Franconia  in  New-Hampshire.  That  on  the 
Merrimack,  is  a  discovery  I  made  last  fall,  (1818,) 
on  a  tour  into  the  interior  of  Missouri.  It  lies  in 
vast  quantity,  about  forty  miles  southwest  of  Poto- 
si,  on  the  Indian  trace  to  the  Gasconade  and 
Osage;  and  accompanied  by  ores  of  iron.  I  have 
also  met  with  a  body  of  manganese,  on  the  divid- 
ing ridge  between  Eleven-points,  and  Fourche 
a  Thomas,  two  streams  running  into  Black  River. 

In  addition  to  the  uses  of  manganese  already 
enumerated,  it  may  be  mentioned,  that  it  is  em- 
ployed in  small  quantity  in  the  manufacture  of  en- 
amels and  artificial  gems  or  pastes.  It  is  an  ingredi- 
ent in  that  kind  of  mortar  or  cement,  which  is  in- 
tended to  stand  under  water,  as  in  the  construe- 
lion  of  light  houses,  cisterns,  canals,  &c.  It  is  em- 
ployed as  a  pigment,  both  for  painting  upon  wood 
and  glass,  and  has  some  uses  in  the  farrier's  art 
In  glass-making  it  is  of  the  highest  importance; 
without  it,  hardly  a  piece  of  good  crystal  glass 
could  be  made,  and  it  has  been  employed  in  this 
art  from  the  earliest  time.  It  is  known  to  have 
been  used  before  the  commencement  of  the  Christian 
era,  and  long  before  its  peculiar  nature  was  under- 


271 

stood.  Its  ancient  name  of  glass-soap  still  conveys 
an  idea  of  its  particular  use,  which  is  to  deprive 
the  glass  of  any  accidental  foulness  of  colour.  If  all 
the  materials  of  glass  could  be  prepared  in  a  state 
of  absolute  purity,  and  then  melted  without  coming- 
in  contact  with  smoke  or  any  other  carbonaceous 
matter,  manganese  would  be  unnecessary.  But 
this,  however  easy  in  a  chymical  experiment,  is 
impracticable  in  a  manufactory  in  the  large  way. 
If  the  materials  were  all  pure,  they  would  melt 
colourless,  there  would  be  no  need  of  manganese 
to  rectify  the  colour  ;  but  to  obtain  this  purity 
would  cost  a  greater  sum,  than  the  article  would 
sell  for  when  made.  When,  therefore,  every  precau- 
tion has  been  taken  in  the  preparation  and  purifi- 
cation of  the  materials, the  last  portions  of  iron  must 
be  got  rid  of  by  a  small  dose  of  manganese.  This 
possesses  the  property  of  discharging  the  green 
hue  which  glass  acquires  from  iron — from  the 
iron  which  is  chymically  combined  in  the  state  of 
an  oxyd  with  the  sand,  the  potash,  and  every  other 
ingredient  employed.  When  the  dose  of  manganese 
is  too  great,  it  communicates  a  violet  tinge  to  the 
glass ;  if  more  be  added,  the  colour  is  full  and  rich, 
and  if  an  excess  be  employed,  it  turns  black  and 
opaque  from  the  intensity  of  colour.  If  the  quan- 
tity taken  be  too  little,  a  greenish  hue  will  be  re- 
maining in  the  glass ;  and  it  requires  a  skill  and 
nicety  in  the  proportioning  this  ingredient,  which 
is  only  to  be  acquired  by  practice.  Regard  must 
constantly  be  had  to  the  purity  of  the  materials 
used,  and  the  varying  degrees  of  purify  from  day  to 
day,  according  as  good  or  bad  sand  or  alkali  be 


27: 


> 


employed,  or  as  a  defect  in  the  preparation  is  ob- 
servable, so  that  it  is  a  subject  requiring  the  con- 
stant attention  of  the  glass-maker,  and  no  invari- 
able, rule  applicable   to  all  times  and  situations, 
can  be  given.     The  common  dose  to  a  pot  of  flint- 
glass,  is  three  ounces,  but  this  indicates  the  mate- 
rials in  a  state  of  considerable  purity.     The  con- 
struction of  the  furnace,  the  kind  of  wood  or  other 
fuel  employed,  and  other  circumstances,  have  also 
a  prodigious  effect  in  varying  the  result  of  the  same 
composition.     That  which  will  melt  well  and  pro- 
duce an  article  of  excellent  quality,  at  a  furnace, 
which  in  the  technical  phrase  runs  hot,  may  pro- 
duce a  very  defective  ware,  at  another,  where  a 
less  intense  degree  of  he>at  is  given,  or  less  skill 
has   been  manifested  in  the  smelting.     It  is  not 
alone  in  the  excellency  of  a  receipt,  that  the  art 
of  making  glass  consists,  it  is  necessary  also  that 
the  art  of  melting  be  understood,-  and  there  is  full 
as  much  skill  required  in  the  latter,  as  in  the  for- 
mer :  and  I  believe  artists  oftener  fail  from  inat- 
tention to  melting  of  glass,  than  from  a  defect  in 
their  compositions.     For  the    receipts,  although 
various,  are  generally  good, — they  do  not  prepare 
the  materials  wilh  sufficient  purity — they  do  not 
compound    them  with    sufficient    precision — and 
above  all,  they  do  not  melt  them  with  sufficient  skill. 
To  excel  in  melting,  requires  a  well  constructed 
furnace,  one  built  of  the  best  materials  put  together 
in  the  best  manner;  and  a  good  furnace   is  of 
little  use,  without  refractory  melting  pots,  and  both 
these  must  fall  short  of  success,  if  not  heated  by 
the  best  fuel — by  the  best  wood,  well  dried,  or  the 


275 

strongest  inflammable  stone-coal.  Hence  the  ne- 
cessity of  an  unremitted  attention  to  these  subjects, 
— of  a  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  the  different 
substances  employed — of  precision  in  the  practice 
— of  skill  in  the  theory.  Hence  the  importance  of 
chymical,  as  well  as  mineralogical  knowledge. 
For  an  artist  who  is  continually  operating  with  alka- 
lies, salts, clays,  sands,  &c,  should  be  perfectly  con- 
versant with  their  nature,  properties,  and  affini- 
ties; the  changes  they  undergo  by  mixture  with 
each  other,  by  exposure  to  heat,  air,  light,  and  un- 
der every  other  situation  in  which  they  are  capa- 
ble of  being  placed.  To  a  want  of  this  informa- 
tion, we  may  attribute  the  complaints  which  have 
been  so  universal  against  American  glass.  But 
we  are  growing  wise,  and  shall,  by  and  by,  consider 
a  man  a  better  artist,  for  having  had  a  better  edu* 
cation. 

Manganese  has  not  been  classed  as  a  peculiar 
metal  over  forty  years.  It  was  formerly  consider- 
ed as  an  ore  of  iron.  In  the  state  in  which  we  see 
it  in  commerce,  it  is  the  oxyd  of  manganese  of  chy- 
mistry.  On  exposure  to  a  high  heat,  in  a  close 
crucible,  with  charcoal,  it  is  reduced  to  a  metallic 
state. 


35 


216 

SECTION  V. 

Antique  Silver  Cup. 

There  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Samuel 
Hill,  of  St.  Clair  county,  Illinois,  a  silver  cup  which 
was  taken  from  one  of  the  mounds  at  Marietta,  on 
the  Ohio. 

In  a  tour  lately  made  through  that  country,  I  paid 
a  visit  to  Mr.  Hill,  at  his  house,  near  Cahokia,  and 
had  an  opportunity  to  examine  the  cup.  It  is  in  the 
form  of  an  inverted  cone,  measuring  three  and  a 
half  inches  across  at  top,  two  and  a  half  at  bottom, 
and  four  inches  in  height.  It  appears  to  be  of 
pure  silver,  and  so  skilfully  wrought  that  no  traces 
of  the  plating  hammer  are  discernible.  The  bot- 
tom, which  is  circular,  has  been  separately  forged, 
accurately  fitted  to  the  sides  or  barrel  of  the  cup, 
and  soldered  in,  and  the  line  of  attachment  is 
plainly  observable.  Its  interior  surface  has  been 
gilt,  or  washed  with  a  bright  yellow  untarnishable 
metal,  which  is  undoubtedly  gold ;  but  the  gilding 
is  impaired  in  some  places,  and  the  vessel  appears 
to  have  been  considerably  used. 

I  am  further  enabled  to  state,  from  a  conversa- 
tion with  Mr.  Hill,  that  the  cup  was  found  in  a 
mound  at  Marietta,  half  a  mile  east  of  those  re- 
markable ancient  fortifications  on  the  Muskingum, 
which  have  attracted  the  notice  and  the  wonder  of 
travellers  since  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  coun- 
try. The  mound  is  situated  on  a  woody  plain, 
with  a  gentle  declivity  towards  the  river,  and  a 


277 

small  stream  washes  its  base ;  and  during  the  au- 
tumnal rains,  or  the  melting  of  the  snow  in  spring 
runs  with  the  velocity  of  a  torrent.  Thus  it  has 
gradually  washed  away  the  earth,  and  laid  open  the 
mound  for  a  considerable  space,  and  in  this  situa- 
tion the  cup  was  noticed  by  the  discoverer.  It  was 
then  in  a  bruised  and  shapeless  mass,  and  foul 
from  adhering  clay,  &c. ;  but  being  taken  to  a  sil- 
versmith, was  put  into  the  shape  it  now  presents, 
which  is  probably  the  shape  it  originally  had.  Its 
value,  by  weight,  at  this  time,  is  about  $15.  It 
bears  no  device,  or  ornamental  work  of  any  kind, 
being  a  perfectly  plain,  heavy  piece  of  workman- 
ship. 

It  is  impossible  to  view  this  relic  of  antiquity 
without  feeling  the  strongest  interest  in  the  subject, 
and  an  irresistible  desire  to  know  by  what  nation 
or  tribe  of  people  it  was  fabricated  ;  at  what  period 
of  the  world,  and  why  they  have  become  extinct, 
or  abandoned  the  country,  without  leaving  any 
other  traces  of  their  history,  but  what  are  to  be 
drawn  from  mounds,  fortifications,  and  other  anala- 
gous  relics,  which  are  every  day  found  in  the  path 
of  the  emigrant  and  traveller.  But  we  must  wait 
till  facts  accumulate,  before  the  mystery  can  be 
unravelled.  We  cannot,  however,  contemplate  the 
present  discovery,  without  admitting  the  conclu- 
sion, that  whoever  were  the  manufacturers  of  this 
vessel,  and  whatever  the  epoch  to  which  we  reter 
its  origin,  they  certainly  possessed  a  greater  skill 
and  knowledge  of  mining,  minerals,  and  mechan- 
ic arts,  than  any  of  the  savage  tribes  who  inhabit- 


278 

ed  the  country  when  first  visited  by  Columbus, 
Americus,  Cortez,  Cabot,  Hudson,  or  La  Salle. 
It  is  not  supposed  that  the  Mexicans,  however  ad- 
vanced towards  refinement,  when  conquered  by 
Cortez,  possessed  the  skill  in  working  silver,  which 
is  indicated  by  the  Marietta  cup.  Neither  do  any 
of  the  savage  tribes  at  the  present  day,  after  an  in- 
tercourse and  acquaintance  of  nearly  300  years 
with  Europeans,  possess  the  ordinary  skill  of  the 
silversmith,  plater,  or  refiner. 


SECTION  VI. 

Lead  Mines  of  Millersbargh,  Kentucky, 

These  mines  are  situated  28  miles  north  of  Lex- 
ington, on  the  main  road  leading  to  Maysville. 
They  lie  in  the  town  of  Millersburgh,  Bourbon 
county,  and  8  miles  north  of  Paris,  the  county 
seat. 

They  were  discovered  in  the  year  1799,  in  an 
extraordinary  manner.  A  farmer  standing  on  an 
eminence,  overlooking  a  cornfield  on  the  planta- 
tion of  Maj.  Miller,  observed  the  stalks  in  commo- 
tion, produced  by  the  trembling  of  the  earth  in 
that  place,  which  continued  to  increase  until  the 
earth  exploded ;  when  the  farmer,  terrified  with 
fear,  ran  home.  Some  days  afterwards,  plough- 
ing in  the  same  field,  he  turned  up  a  lump  of  lead 
ore  with  the  plough,  and  this  gave  the  hint  for 
making  a  search.     On  digging,  a  large  body  of 


/ 


279 

ore  was  struck  at  no  great  depth ;  and  a  number 
of  discoveries  have  since  been  made  in  that  neigh- 
bourhood, the  principal  of  which  is  Elliot's  mine. 
I  should  hesitate  to  mention  the  extraordinary 
phenomenon  attending  this  discovery,  were  it  not 
authorized  by  the  most  respectable  and  intelli- 
gent persons  of  that  neighbourhood. 

The  effects  of  the  explosion  were  discernible 
for  two  miles  in  a  particular  direction,  which  is 
that  of  the  vein  of  lead  ore,  as  was  found  by  sink- 
ing in  various  places  upon  it.  Mr.  Elliot  sunk  a 
shaft  40  feet  deep  in  pursuit  of  the  vein  of  ore,  and 
in  that  distance  there  was  a  gradual  increase  in 
its  size,  and  it  was  left  when  the  vein  was  the 
largest,  and  the  prospect  of  arriving  at  a  body  of 
ore,  the  most  flattering. 

The  ore  found  in  this  vein  was  imbedded  in 
white  quartz,  pervading  a  rock  of  hard  blue  lime^ 
stone,  which  underwent  a  decomposition  on  expo- 
sure to  the  air  and  weather.      The  ore,  when  well 
cleaned,  often  produced  75  per  cent,  in  the  large 
way ;    and  Mr.  Elliott,  who  has  since  carried  on 
the  mining  business  in  Washington  county,  (Mis- 
souri,) tells  me  he  considers  the  prospect  more 
flattering  at  that  place,  than  at  any  mine  he  has 
seen  west  of  the  Mississippi.     Not  that  there  is  a 
greater  body  of  ore  in  view,  or  that  the  district  of 
lead  ore  is  any  wise  so  extensive ;  but  such  pros- 
pects as  do  exist  are  of  a  character  entirely  to  he 
depended  upon  ;    and  such  as,  if  the  vein  was  fol- 
lowed up,  would  more  certainly  lead  to  a  large 
body  of  ore.     He  thinks  it  would  justify  the  ex- 
penditure of  a  considerable  sum  in  digging  and  ex- 


280 

pionng ;  ihat  to  do  it  effectually,  such  a  sum  would 
be  required,  and  that  such  an  expenditure  would 
undoubtedly  lead  to  an  invaluable  discovery  of 
ore. 

These  mines  were  worked  under  the  authority 
of  a  lease  from  Maj.  Miller,  proprietor  of  the  soil. 


SECTION  VII. 

Antique  Glasses,  discovered  in  Hamburgh,  Niagara 
County,  New-  York. 

"  An  opinion  is  entertained  by  many  well  inform- 
ed persons  in  the  United  States,  that,  the  country 
has,  at  some  remote  period,  been  inhabited  by  a 
civilized  people,  prior  to  its  settlement  or  subjuga- 
tion by  the  savages :  and  to  the  many  evidences 
furnished  to  strengthen  the  opinion  by  the  remains 
of  fortifications,  tumuli,  &c.  may  be  added  the  dis- 
covery of  a  number  of  pieces  of  glass,  of  singular 
workmanship,  lately  made  in  Hamburgh,  Niagara 
County. 

"  I  have  been  favoured  with  an  opportunity  to  ex- 
amine one  of  these  glasses,  and  on  the  authority  of 
my  informant  am  enabled  to  remark,  that  they  were 
taken  up  about  two  months  ago  from  an  ancient 
barrow  in  the  town  of  Hamburgh,  where  they  were 
found  deposited  in  an  earthen  pot.  Contiguous 
to  this  pot  were  also  found  a  skull,  and  some  other 
bones  of  the  human  frame,  of  an  unusual  size. 
This  mound,  or  supposed  repository  of  the  dead,  is 


281 

Situated  in  an  uncultivated  part  oi  the  town,  and 
several  trees  were  growing  upon  it  at  the  time  the 
excavation  was  made;  some  of  which  were  judg- 
ed to  be  upwards  of  two  feet  in  diameter. 

"  The  glass  which  I  had  an  opportunity  to  exam- 
ine, (and  I  am  informed  they  are  all  alike,)  is  in  the 
form  of  a  large  barrel-shaped  bead  ;  consisting  of 
a  tube  of  transparent  green  glass,  covered  with  an 
opaque  coarse  red  enamel.  Its  length  9  tenths  of 
an  inch ;  its  greatest  width  6  1-2  tenths  of  an  inch ; 
and  the  bore  of  the  tube  2  tenths  of  an  inch.  Near 
the  circle  of  the  bore  of  this  tube  is  an  aperture  of 
the  size  of  a  large  needle,  perforating  the  tube 
from  one  end  to  the  other.  The  enamel  which 
covers  the  tube  of  transparent  glass,  appears  to 
have  been  ornamented  with  painting,  in  figures  re- 
sembling a  spindle,  or  two  inverted  sections  of  a 
circle;  but  they  are  now  hardly  perceptible,  as 
the  bead  appears  to  have  been  considerably  worn. 

"  But  the  circumstance  most  indicative  of  art  in 
the  making  of  this  bead,  is  a  species  of  enamelling 
which  has  been  performed  both  on  the  external 
and  internal  surfaces  of  the  tube,  previous  to  its 
being  covered  by  the  coarse  red  enamel.  This 
second  enamel  is  white,  and  as  the  external  sur- 
face of  the  tube  was  not  smooth,  but  in  parrallel 
strie  or  veins,  exhibits  the  appearance  of  a  white 
vine  between  the  green  tube  and  the  red  enamel. 
This  enamelling  appears  to  me  to  have  been  done, 
not  by  melting  on  any  vitreous  composition,  as  is 
practised  at  the  present  day,  but  by  the  effect  of 
calcination  tor  some  time  in  a  low  red  heat.  This, 
it  is  known,  will  deprive  glass,  especially  green 


282 

glass,  of  its  transparency;  and  render  the  suriace 
white  to  a  certain  depth. 

"The  composition  of  the  tube  of  glass,  I  have 
judged  to  be  simply  a  silicious  sand  and  an  alkali ; 
probably  with  a  small  addition  of  lime  or  vegetable 
ashes.  It  is  hard,  and  will  not  receive  scratches 
like  the  lead  glasses,  and  I  conclude  from  this  cir- 
cumstance that  there  is  no  lead  in  the  composition. 
Its  colour  seems  also  owing  to  the  impurity  of  the 
materials  employed,  like  the  common  window  and 
bottle  glass  ;  and  is  probably  caused  by  a  minute 
portion  of  iron  in  the  state  of  an  oxyd,  combined 
with  the  sand  and  alkali. 

"  The  red  enamel  covering  the  tube,  and  the  pot 
in  which  these  glasses  were  found,  seem  to  have 
been  constructed  of  similar  materials,  as  they  dif- 
fer very  little  in  colour,  texture,  or  other  external 
character.  Probably  a  very  fusible  brick  clay, 
highly  impregnated  with  the  oxyd  of  iron,  and  pul- 
verized fragments  of  green  glass,  are  the  principal 
ingredients  of  both.  The  earthen  pot  is  manifestly 
constructed  of  different  materials  from  those  em- 
ployed for  brown  pottery  at  the  present  period. 
It  is  a  more  imperishable  substance,  of  a  close  tex- 
ture, and  vitreous  appearance. 

"  I  shall  not  presume  to  speculate  in  opinions 
which  discoveries  of  this  interesting  nature  are 
calculated  to  create ;  it  may,  however,  here  be 
added,  that  the  fabrication  of  these  glasses  would 
suppose  a  perfection  in  the  arts  which  none  of  the 
Indian  tribes  inhabiting  this  country  at  the  period 
of  its  discovery,  had  arrived  to.  That  if  introduced 
by  the  French  from  Canada,  in  their  earliest  com- 


% 


283 

munications  with  the  Indians  inhabiting  the  west- 
ern parts  of  this  State,  a  sufficient  time  would 
hardly  have  elapsed  for  the  growth  of  trees  of  such 
size  as  were  found  upon  the  mound  from  which 
these  relics  were  taken.  And  that  if  not  introduced 
by  the  French  at  the  period  alluded  to,  we  must 
refer  their  manufacture  back  to  a  very  remote 
date,  and  one  on  which  Indian  tradition  is  whollv 
silent." 

The  above  was  originally  printed  in  the  Utica 
Patriot  (Sept.  1817,)  under  a  fictitious  signature. 
Since  visiting  the  western  country,  I  have  had  oc- 
casion to  notice  a  similar  discovery  on  Big  River, 
in  the  Territory  of  Missouri.  On  opening  an  In- 
dian grave  (or  what  is  considered  such)  on  the 
banks  of  this  river,  several  beads  of  glass,  of  a 
similar  nature,  were  found.  They  were  accompa- 
nied by  many  bones  of  the  human  frame,  of  a  most 
extraordinary  size,  and  which  indicated  a  stature 
eight  feet  in  height.  The  person  appeared  to  have 
been  deformed,  either  by  birth  or  through  acci- 
dent ;  the  right  jaw  bone  running  in  a  straight 
line  from  the  mouth  back,  while  the  left  preserved 
the  usual  curve. 

This  excavation  was  made  near  tbe  banks  of 
the  river,  where  the  soil  is  a  rich  alluvion,  and 
covered  by  a  heavy  growth  of  forest  trees,  such  as 
are  peculiar  to  the  richest  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
bottom  lands. 


.% 


284 

SECTION  VIII, 

Dwarf  Skeletons. 

From  the  Missouri  Gazette  of  November  G,  1818. 

A  short  time  since,  Mr.  Long,  the  proprietor  of 
a  farm  on  (he  south  side  of  the  Merrimack  River, 
about  fifteen  miles  from  this  place,  (St.  Louis)  dis- 
covered on  the  scite  on  which  he  had  fixed  his 
dwelling-,  a  number  of  graves,  the  size  of  which 
appeared  uncommonly  small.  This  awakened 
his  curiosity,  and  led  him  to  a  minute  examination, 
which  convinced  him  they  were  the  remains  of 
human  beings  much  smaller  than  those  of  the  pre- 
sent day.  He  seemed  warranted  in  this  conclu- 
sion, as  well  from  the  uniform  appearance  of  the 
skeletons,  (the  length  of  which  in  no  case  exceed- 
ed four  feet)  as  from  the  teeth,  which  bore  the  evi- 
dent marks  of  those  belonging  to  adult  persons. 
He  communicated  these  facts  to  a  gentleman  of 
this  place,  who  on  Sunday  last,  together  with  two 
other  gentlemen,  accompanied  by  Doctors  Walker 
and  Grayson,  proceeded  to  the  place  of  interment. 
They  found,  as  had  been  stated,  in  a  wood  adja- 
cent to  the  house,  a  great  number  of  graves,  all 
situated  on  small  tumuli  or  hillocks,  raised  about 
three  feet  above  the  surface ;  they  examined  seve- 
ral, the  first  of  which  by  actual  measurement  was 
discovered  to  be  only  twenty-three  inches  in  length. 
The  grove  was  carefully  cased  up  on  both  sides, 
as  well  as  at  the  head  and  foot  with  flat  stones  ;  in 


285 

the  bottom  also  a  stone  was  fixed,  on  which  the 
body  was  lying,  placed  on  the  right  side  with  the 
head  to  the  east.  Time  had  completely  destroyed 
all  the  soft  parts  of  the  body,  as  well  as  decom- 
posed the  bones,  which,  however,  still  preserved 
their  relative  situation.  The  teeth,  which  were 
expected  to  furnish  the  best,  and  perhaps  only 
data  to  judge,  were  found  in  a  state  almost  perfect, 
being  defended  by  the  enamel,  which  seems  only 
to  yield  to  chemical  decomposition.  To  the  asto- 
nishment of  all,  they  proved  to  be  the  teeth  of  a 
being,  who,  if  it  had  not  attained  the  age  of  pu- 
berty, had  unquestionably  arrived  at  that  period 
of  life  when  the  milk  teeth  yield  to  the  second  or 
permanent  set.  The  molares  and  incisores  were  of 
the  ordinary  size  of  second  teeth.  The  jaw  bone 
seemed  to  have  its  full  complement,  unless  it  was 
the  dent  is  sapienta,  or  what  is  better  understood  by 
the  wisdom  teeth,  which  make  their  appearance 
from  the  age  of  eighteen  to  twenty-two  or  twenty- 
three.  The  next  grave  examined  was  on  an  adja- 
cent mound,  and  measured  twenty-seven  inches ; 
it  resembled  in  every  respect  the  first,  except  that 
the  top  of  it  was  covered  with  flat  stones  placed 
horizontally.  Several  others  were  opened,  all  of 
which  presented  a  uniform  appearance ;  and  none, 
although  many  were  measured,  proved  to  be  in 
length  more  than  four  feet  two  or  three  inches. 

From  these  facts  the  mind  is  brought  to  the  ir- 
resistible conclusion,  that  these  are  the  remains  of 
beings  differing  altogether  from,  and  inferior  in 
general  size,  to  ourselves. 


286 

For  if  in  the  subject  first  mentioned  we  suppose 
it  to  be  a  being  of  the  usual  growth,  the  facts  of 
its  having  attained  the  age  of  seven  or  eight  years, 
as  seems  proven  from  the  teeth,  is  directly  oppo- 
site to,  and  at  war  with,  the  circumstance  of  its 
being  only  twenty-three  inches  long,  the  usual 
length  of  a  child  eight  or  ten  months  old,  and  jus- 
tifies the  conclusion  that  by  nature  it  was  destined 
to  be  of  inferior  size.  As  to  the  time  these  bodies 
have  been  deposited,  there  is  no  clue  by  which  to 
form  any  certain  opinion.  The  bones  have  been 
thoroughly  changed  by  time,  nothing  remaining 
but  the  lime  or  earthy  particles  of  them,  which 
can  undergo  no  further  change,  and  may  as  well 
be  supposed  to  have  been  in  this  state  five  centu- 
ries ago  as  one.  It  is  certain  they  have  been  there 
an  immense  length  of  time,  from  the  large  growth 
of  timber  on  the  mounds,  and  the  roots  of  trees 
which  have  made  their  way  through  the  graves. 

The  subject  certainly  invites  the  attention  of 
the  learned  and  curious,  and  opens  an  ample  field 
for  investigation,  at  least  to  form  some  plausible 
conjecture  of  a  race  of  beings  who  have  inhabited 
our  country  at  a  period  far  beyond  that  of  which 
tradition  gives  us  any  account. 


The  following  remarks  on  the  same  subject  from 
the  pen  of  Rufus  Pittibone,  Esq.  of  St.  Louis,  ap- 
peared in  the  same  paper  in  February  ensuing : 

"  A  publication  in  your  paper  of  the  sixth  of  No- 
vember last,  concerning  a  discovery  of  some  dwarf 
skeletons,  made  upon  the  farm  of  a  Mr.  Long,  on 
the  north  bank  of  the  Merrimack  River,  in  this 


287 

county,  (St.  Louis)  together  with  several  letters* 
from  this  place,   on  the  same  subject,  are  now 
going  the  round  of  the  American  papers.     As  yet. 
I  have  seen  no  attempt  to  account  for  the  size  and 
appearance  of  those  skeletons,   upon  any  other 
supposition  than  that  they  are   the  remains  of  a 
people  far  less  in  size  than  any  known  at  the  pre- 
sent day.     Unwilling  to  adopt  a  belief  so  contrary 
to  the  general  order  of  nature  and  to  the  history  of 
the  human  species,  so  far  as  it  has  been  transmitted 
to  us,  I  shall  hazard  some  conjectures  upon  the 
subject,  which  1  think  will,  in  some  measure,  tend 
to  dissolve  the  mystery   that  hovers  over  these 
bones,  and  to  reconcile  their  appearance    with 
the  general  history  of  our  race.     To  be  sure,  Na- 
ture, in  her  sport,  has  now  and  then  produced 
monsters.     A  taste  for  the  marvellous  among  tra- 
vellers and  historians,  has  occasionally  conjured 
up  a  race  of  giants,  or  a  nation  of  pigmies ;  but 
when  the  light  of  truth  has  reached  us  from  the 
distant  corners  of  the  earth  where  they  were  said 
to  dwell,  we  have  found  them  to  assume  the  size, 
shape,  and  attitude  of  men,  and  nothing  more.     So 
far  as  observation  or  history  extends,  we  find  the 
species  nearly  the  same  in  all  ages  and  in  all  coun- 
tries.    Climate  has  had  some  effect  upon  the  size 
and  upon  the  complexion.     The  excessive  cold  of 
the  north  has  shortened  an  inch  or  two  the  necks 
of  the  Esquimaux,  and  the  heat  of  the  south  has 
coloured  the  African.     But  what  in  this  genial  cli- 
mate should  make   dwarfs?     It  is  here,   if  any 
where,  that  we  should   naturally  expect  to  find 
giants!  All  the  other  productions  o^  nature  are 


2HH 

here  brought  forth  in  the  highest  perfection.  And 
shall  man  here  grow  a  pigmy  ?  Unless  we  are 
ready  to  adopt  the  opinion  of  certain  naturalists, 
that  the  human  species  are  the  legitimate  descend- 
ants of  the  apes,  and  that  they  once  wore  tails, 
and  were  of  their  diminutive  size, — unless  we  are 
ready  to  believe  the  history  of  the  Lilliputians, 
and  of  Tom  Thumb,  I  think  we  shall  discard  the 
idea  of  a  nation  of  dwarfs,  as  wholly  preposter- 
ous. But  how  shall  we  account  for  the  appearan- 
ces upon  the  farm  of  Mr.  Long,  upon  any  other 
supposition  ? 

"  None  of  the  graves  found  there  exceed  four  feet 
in  length,  many  of  them  fall  short  of  three,  and 
the  teeth  found  in  all  of  them  show  that  they  con- 
tain the  remains  of  human  beings  who  had  arrived 
at  years  of  maturity.  The  manners  and  customs 
of  the  Indians  with  respect  to  the  treatment  of 
their  dead,  will,  I  think,  solve  all  difficulties  ;  and 
satisfactorily  account  for  these  appearances,  with- 
out doing  violence  to  nature.  According  to  the 
testimonies  of  travellers  and  historians,  it  has 
been  the  custom  among  many  tribes  of  Indians,  to 
hang  their  dead  in  baskets  upon  trees,  and  upon 
scaffolds,  until  their  flesh  was  consumed,  and 
then  to  take  them  down,  and  clean  their  bones, 
and  bury  them.  There  existed  an  order  of  men 
among  them  called  bone-pickers,  with  long  nails  like 
claws,  whose  business  and  profession  it  was  to 
clean  the  unconsumed  flesh  from  the  bones,  pre- 
vious to  burial.  This  custom  still  exists  among  the 
Indians  on  the  waters  of  the  Missouri,  and  ration- 
ally accounts  for  the  appearances  upon  the  farm  of 


289 

Mr.  Lons:.  The  bones  of  a  skeleton  of  the  or- 
dinary  size  when  separated,  would  naturaliy  oc- 
cupy a  grave  of  three  or  four  feet  in  length.  It 
appears  that  in  all  the  graves  which  were  opened, 
the  bones,  except  the  teeth,  were  reduced  to  a 
chalky  substance,  so  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  know,  with  any  certainty,  in  what  state,  con- 
dition, or  form  they  were  deposited  there.  These 
skeletons  are  said  to  rest  on  their  sides.  Taking 
this  fact  to  be  true,  it  goes  to  strengthen  my  ideas 
on  this  subject.  In  burying  a  corpse  it  is  natural, 
and  so  far  as  we  are  acquainted,  universally  the 
custom,  to  bury  them  with  the  face  upwards.  We 
can  look  upon  our  dead  friends  with  a  melancholy 
complacency, — we  cast  a  long  and  lingering  look 
after  them  until  they  are  completely  shut  from 
our  view  in  the  grave ;  and  nothing  is  more  hard 
and  heart-rending  than  to  tear  our  last  looks 
from  them.  It  is  natural  then  that  the  body  should 
be  placed  in  such  a  position  as  most  to  favour  this 
almost  universal  desire  of  the  human  heart.  But 
in  burying  a  skeleton,  it  would  be  as  natural  to 
avert  the  horrid  grin  of  a  death's  head  from  us. 
To  face  the  grinning  skeleton  of  a  friend  must  fill 
us  with  horror  and  disgust.  '  Turn  away  the  horrid 
sight,'  would  be  the  language  of  nature.  If  we 
adopt  my  supposition,  as  correct  in  this  case,  all 
the  facts  correspond  with  nature.  But  if  we 
adopt  the  opinion  of  the  writer  in  your  paper,  our 
opinions  are  at  war  with  nature,  reason,  and 
universal  observation." 

The  following   observations  by  the  Rev.  J.  JVI. 
Peck,  of  St.  Louis,  may  also  here  be  added. 


290 

i;  A  communication  in  the  Gazette  of  the  l^th  in- 
stant, by  "  Historicus,"  accounting  in  a  rational 
manner  for  the  graves  on  the  plantation  of  Mr. 
Long,  has  given  rise  to  the  following  remarks,  as 
tending  to  cast  further  light  on  the  subject,  and  in 
part  confirm  the  opinion  of  the  writer : 

Mr.  M ,  informed  me,  that  himself,  his  lady, 

and  another,  were  present  at  the  opening  of  seve- 
ral graves,  after  the  spot  had  been  visited,  and 
the  skeletons  examined  by  several  physicians  of 
St.  Louis.  One  grave  was  opened  which  measur- 
ed four  feet  in  length ;  this  was  formed  by  laying 
a  flat  stone  at  the  bottom,  placing  one  on  each  side, 
one  at  each  end,  and  covering  the  mouth  with  an- 
other. In  the  last  circumstance,  this  grave  differed, 
from  the  others  that  were  opened,  the  contents 
were  a  full  grown  skeleton,  with  the  head  and  teeth, 
part  of  the  spine,  the  thigh  and  leg  bones,  in  a  tole- 
rable state  of  preservation.  The  leg  bones  were 
found  parallel  with  the  bones  of  the  thighs,  and  every 
appearance  indicated  either  that  the  corpse  had 
been  entombed,  with  the  legs  and  thighs  placed 
30  as  to  meet,  or  that  a  skeleton  had  been  deposi- 
ted in  this  order.  The  first  opinion  seems  the 
most  probable,  from  the  fact  that  a  large  stone  pipe 
was  found  in  the  tomb,  and  which  I  understand  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Long. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact,  that  both  implements  of 
war,   and  of  domestic  use,  are  buried  with  the 
dead  bodies  of  the  Indians,  but  it  admits  of  a  que- 
ry, if  they  are  ever  deposited  with  the  mere  skeleton. 

"  It  is  a  well  known  fact,"  says  bishop  Madison, 
while  writing  on  the  supposed  fortifications  of  the 


291 

western  county*,  u  that  among  many  of  the  Indian 
tribes  the  bones  of  the  diseased,  are  annually  col- 
lected and  deposited  in  one  place,  the  funeral  rites 
are  then  solemnized  with  the  warmest  expressions 
of  love  and  friendship,  and  that  this  untutored  race, 
ur«-ed  b  v  the  feelings  of  nature,  consign  to  the  bosom 
of  the  earth,  along  with  the  remains  of  their  dis- 
eased relatives,  food,  weapons  of  war,  and  often 
those  articles  they  possessed,  and  most  highly 
valued  when  alive."  This  fact  is  substantiated 
from  various  respectable  sources.  The  pious  cus- 
tom of  collecting  the  relics  of  the  dead,  which  ac- 
cident, or  the  events  of  a  battle,  might  have  dis- 
persed through  the  wilderness,  easily  accounts  for 
the  graves  on  the  Merrimack,  as  well  as  explains 
the  origin  of  the  artificial  mounds  in  our  vicinity. 
If  these  were  opened,  there  would  be  found  pro- 
miscuously deposited  the  bones  of  the  aborigines, 
which  pious  veneration  from  year  to  year,  and 
from  century  to  century,  industriously  collected. 
The  cemetery  alluded  to  on  the  plantation  of  Mr. 
Long,  may  be  viewed  as  the  public  burial  place  of 
some  powerful  nation  of  the  same  size,  and  similar 
customs  with  other  Indians. 

No  wish  is  entertained  to  object  to  the  hypothe- 
sis of  "  Historicus,"  in  regard  to  the  customs  to 
which  he  alludes.  The  shortness  of  the  graves 
may  be  attributed  to  different  causes." 


On  the  preceding  information,  it  may  be  obser- 
ved, that  however  ingenious  and  forcible  the  reiiec- 

*  See  American  Philosophical  Transactions,  Vol,  vi. 


292 

tions  appear,  which  have  been  advanced  by  Mr. 
Pettibone,  and  Mr.  Peck,  in  opposition  to  the  pre- 
valent opinion  of  the  dwarfish  origin  of  the  Merri- 
mack bones,  their  remarks  cannot,  however,  be 
considered  as  conclusive.  Undoubtedly  those 
customs,  to  which  allusion  has  been  made,  were 
were  formerly  prevalent  among  many  of  the  savage 
tribes  of  North  America,  and  may  still  be  practis- 
ed in  the  remote  and  uncultivated  regions  of  the 
west,  but  it  is  difficult  to  bring  the  mind  to  the  con- 
clusion, that  a  person  arrived  at  the  age  of  maturi- 
ty, of  the  common  stature  of  the  human  race  at 
the  present  day,  and  whose  bones  had  been  inter- 
red several  centuries  ago,  but  still  preserve  their 
relative  situation,  should  measure  only  four  feet  in 
lensrth,  while  the  teeth  and  the  bones  in  several  of 
the  graves  opened  in  the  presence  of  doctors  Wal- 
ker and  Grayson,  indicated  a  child  arrived  at  the 
age  of  eight  or  nine  years,  and  whose  stature  could 
not  have  exceeded  twenty-three  inches.  Where 
is  the  child  of  the  present  day,  arrived  at  eight  or 
nine  years  of  age,  whose  height  will  not  exceed 
this,  by  at  least  a  foot  ?  Nor  is  the  circumstance 
of  the  relative"  anatomical  situation  which  was  ob- 
served to  exist  among  these  bones,  by  any  means 
reconcileable  with  the  supposition  of  the  interment 
only  of  the  osseous  parts  of  the  body,  which  would 
probably  be  thrown  together  without  the  exercise 
of  that  knowledge  in  anatomy,  which  is  requisite 
in  putting  joint  to  joint,  and  bone  to  bone,  in  the 
manner  they  were  created. 

We  must  therefore  hesitate  in  receiving  conclu- 
sions which  are  not  founded  on  physical  observa- 
tion, or  drawn  from  facts  too  evident  to  admit  of 


293 

Contradiction,  but  on  the  contrary,  there  is  much  to 
favour  the  opinion  that  they  are  the  relics  of  a 
race  of  beings  inferior  in  stature  to  ourselves. 
Who  they  were — whither  fled — whycreated,or  de- 
stroyed ?  are  inquiries  which  do  not  admit  of  be- 
ing satisfactorily  answered.  Our  knowledge  of 
the  ancient  history  of  the  land  we  inhabit,  is  very 
little.  Afew  detached  facts,  some  traditions  and  sur- 
mises, drawn  rather  from  the  probability  of  things 
than  the  discovery  of  facts,  is  all  we  possess.  A 
beginning  only  has  been  made.  Of  our  antiqui- 
ties we  know  nothing.  Every  year  is  bringing  to 
light  some  fresh  relic  of  ancient  use,  folly  or  splen- 
dour, and  all  tending  to  show  that  our  country  has 
been  inhabited  by  a  people  conversant  with  the 
arts,  if  not  the  refinements  of  civilized  life.  Our 
mounds,  tumuli,  embankments,  and  ancient  for- 
tifications, are  subjects  replete  with  the  highest. 
interest,  and  presenting  an  ample  field  for  philo- 
sophical speculation  and  inquiry.  Connected 
with  this  subject  are  the  Merrimack  bones,  the 
silver  cup  of  Marietta,  and  the  glass  beads  of  Nia- 
gara. But  we  must  wait  till  additional  facts  are 
collected  and  compared,  before  we  can  form  a  con- 
clusive theory.  We  cannot  reason  surely  from  the 
inspection  of  one  detached  point;  we  must  view 
our  whole  country  in  connexion,  not  only  as  regards 
the  order  of  time,  but  its  geographical  position, 
its  soil  and  climate,  its  geological  structure,  and 
the  physical  changes  it  has  undergone  since  the 
creation  of  man — the  cycles  of  excessive  heat,  or 
excessive  cold,  to  whose  influence  it  has  been 
submitted,  in  the  lapse  of  centuries, — these  and 


294 

other  analogous  matters,  must  be  considered  in 
contemplating  its  ancient  history.  But  these  are 
not  the  efforts  of  a  day,  nor  the  works  of  an  indivi- 
dual; time  must  be  consumed,  exertions  must  be 
made,  difficulties  must  be  encountered,  and  preju- 
dices overcome;  and  the  collective  energies  of  a 
Society  are  necessary  to  accomplish  so  desirable 
an  end, — to  collect,  compare,  and  apply  accumu- 
lating facts, — to  embody  and  spread  them — to  as- 
sist the  stuJious  in  the  pursuit  of  further  know- 
ledge— to  point  the  methods  of  procedure — and 
finally,  to  encourage  the  enterprising,  and  to  re- 
ward the  successful.  When  such  efforts  are  made, 
we  shall  know  more  of  the  history  of  our  land, 
and  of  ourselves;  and  the  light  of  antiquity  will 
shine  upon  our  neglected  mounds  and  fortifica- 
tions, with  a  splendour  that  shall  vie  with  the  walk 
of  Babylon,  and  the  ruins  of  Herculaneum. 


INDEX. 


*  Page 

.J3.BKAN3AW  territory  erected  21 

Ash  furnace  introduced  19 

Anthony  Crozat  It 

Ancient  bounds  of  Louisiana  1 1 

Academy  of  mines  suggested   23 

Agriculture,  state  of  3b 

Account  of  St.  Geneveive  45 

Herculaneuiu  46 

Potosi  48 

St.  Louis  159,240 

St.  Michael  49 

Franklin  160 

St.  Charles  ib. 

Carondelet  239 

Cahokia  24f 

Cape  Girardeau  227 

Arsenic  44 

Antimony  44,  54 

Amount  of  lead  made  at  Potosi  49 

Alum  Cave  57 

Animals  die  of  mine  sickness  30 

Austin's  Shaft  65,119,127 

A  saving  suggested  79 

Alloys,  fusibility  of  74 

Alliot's  experiments  86 

Artificial  chimney  jambs,  fee.  ib. 

Analysis  of  basalt  87 

Account  of  furnaces  94.  9b 

Ashes  of  lead  97 

how  washed  ib. 

Ash  furnace  93 

situation  for  102 

materials  of  ib. 

how  heated  103 

cost  of  ib. 

Assay  of  ore  109 

Analysis  by  Dr.  Thompson  llu 

Argentiferous  lead  glance  ib. 

Annual  produce  1  13 

Aggregate  amounts  of  lead  122 

Agent  of  mines  suggested  132 

A  receipt  for  Enamel  143 

Artificial  Gems,  how  made  148 

Acetite  of  lead  ib 

Antiquities  of  Missouri  169 

Ashley's  Cave  171 

Axes  of  stone  (antique)  170 

A  catalogue  of  minerals  177 

Argillaceous  oxyd  of  iron  193 

Antimouial  ore  197 

Alum  199 

Agaric  mineral  200 

Agatized  wood  207 

Alabaster  204 

Agate  215 

Arkansaw  Gypsum  211 

vitriol  209 

salt  207 

loadstone  |y^ 

oil  stone  183 

hot  springs  ib 

quartz  1H2 

agate  215 

Account  of  sawyers  223 

Ancient  falls  of  the  Mississippi  229 

American  bottom  237 

Advantages  of  St  Louis  240 

Account  of  White  River  246 

intique  silver  cup  276 

glasses  280 

bones  284 

Antiquarian  Society  suggested 294 


BPage 
i'rton,  discovery  by  18 

in's  mines  20,  l'>5,  75,  126 

Biographical    sketch    of    M. 

Rurton  18 

Botanical  character  of  mine 

country  28 

Banks  of  Mississippi  32 

Beach  grape  29 

Birds,  acceunt  of  36 

Beef  and  pork  exported  47 

Bois  Brula  bottom  50,  232 

Bellevue  51 

Bates'  Lick  54 

Bilious  complaints  30 

Bull  Shoajs,  antiquities  at  61 

Brushy-run  Diggings  65,  128 

Bibb's  Diggings  65,  127 

Belle  Fountaine  65,  120 

Becquet's  Diggings  65,  127 

Blende  56,69,  197 

Blossom  of  lead  71 

Black  jack  69 

Barytes  70 

Blue  glazing,  spontaneous  for- 
mation of  73 
Bottles,  remarks  on  80 
Basalt,  new  uses  of  82 
Big  Hoen  River  89 
Burning  of  lime  102 
Bar  and  pig  lead,  amount  made  122 
Buttons,  manufacture  of  149 
Boundaries    and    extent    of 

Missouri  153 

Black  River  1G5 

Braves,  a  military  order  175 

Bones,  where  l'ouud  169 

Brown  Hematite  192 

Black  oxyd  of  manganese         199 
Burning  clay,  effects  of  202 

Blue  vitriol  209 

Basanite  212 

Buhrstooe  216 

Burning  spring  ib. 

Bottom  lauds,  extensive  tract  237 
Banks  at  St.  I.ouis  241 

Bullaloe  Fork  10 1 

Black  River  255 

its  tributaries  256 

soil,  productions,  &c.       ib. 
Beads  of  glass  380 

Bourbon  lead  mines  378 

Bones,  antique.  284 

Capital  of  Missouri  240 

Crozat,  Anthony,  grant  to  10 

Copper  mine  16 

Country  granted  by  I.ouis  XIV.  Kl 
Company  of  the  west  1 1 

Company  of  St.  Phillips  14 

Chronological  table  25 

Character  of  soil  26,27 

Cotton  wood  29 

Climate  33 

Co»  s  ami  horses,  easily  raised  3i 
Ciotb  manufacture  35 

Churches  25,  174 

Carolina  potatoe  34 

Cultivated  fruit  trees  42 

Commerce  of  the  mines  44 

of  St  Louis  240 

Caledonia  49 

County  of  St.  Genevieve  60 


Page 

County  of  Washington  51 

Madison  57 

J  e  lie  loon  58 

Cook's  settlement  51 

Causes  of  misrepresentation  52 

Chicago  54 

Catalogue  of  wild  fruits  28 

of  wild  quadrupeds  36 

of  exports  43 

of  mines  65 

of  manufactures  57 

of  steam  boats  263 
Citadel  Diggings                 65,  127 

Cawk  70 

Calcareous  spar  ib- 
Cannon's  mines  66,  127 
Cession  of  Louisiana  by  France  25 
Cobalt,  conjecture  respecting    73 

Chemical  experiments  78 

Clay,  refractory  76 

Chaptal,  information  by  82 
Composition  ol  bottles  83,  86 
Chimney  jambs,kc. how  formed  86 

Cause  of  disappointments  91 
Cost  of  furnaces,                 94, 103 

Constituent  of  limestone  102 

Calcination,  how  ellecied  103 

Customs  anions  the  miners  107 

Ctipellatiou.  bow  performed  1 1 1 

Cerusse,  manufacture  of  135 

Chromateof  lead  137 

Curiosities  of  .Missouri  169 

Character  of  inhabitant's  1  •- 

Changes  in  society  174 

Condition  of  the  Uacks  176 

Caves  ol  nitre  170 

Catalogue  of  minerals  1 77 

Chalk  17;i 

Common  quartz  183 

Citrine  .  184 

Calcareous  spar  190 

Cave-in-rock  191 
Common  argillaceous  oxyd  of 

iron  193 

Chalcedony  194 

Copper,  native  198 

Carbonate  of  lead  ib. 

Crucible  clay,  where  found  200 

Common  jasper  206 

Carneliau  207 

Common  salt  ib. 

Calcareous  alabaster  20* 

Conglomerate  205 
Cave  Creek                      204,208 

Character  of  infusible  clay  201 

Copper,  sulphate  of  20» 

Coal  ib. 

Carburretted  hydrogen  21 

Chalk  banks  227 

Cape  Girardeau  ib. 

Cape  Garlick  230 

Cape  St.  Comb  232 
Commercial    advantages    of 

Herculaneum  237 

Cahokia  210 

Carondelet  239 

Character  of  St.  Louis  240 

Commerce  of  White  River  260 

Cut  oil'  253 

Commerce  of  New-Orleans  2«5 

Colouring  ingredient  271 

Cotton  2B5 

Cup  of  Marietta  276 


296 


DPagft 
iscovEhT  of  mines   16, 18,  20 
Date  of  grants  10,  12,  17 

Difficulties  opposed  to  mining  22 
Diseases  of  the  mines  30 

Dyeing  plants  29,  30 

Dogs  and  cats,  mines  affect 

them  30 

Distilleries  57 

Dubuque's  claim  62 

Doggett's  mine  6C,  126 

Discovery  of  Louisiana  25 

Decomposed  shale,wherefound  76 
Di'viinjof  lead,  how  performed 90 
Divining  rod,  folly  of  92 

Description  of  furnaces  94,98 
Disappointments,  causes  of  91 
Double-eyed  furnace,  advan- 
tage of  96 
Disputes,  how  prevented  107 
Durham  ore  J 10 
Dr.  Thompson,  analysis  by  ib. 
Deductions  128 
Duty  on  imported  lead  129 
Dr.  Hunter,  receipt  by  137 
Duelling  prevalent  173 
Delaware  Indians  176 
Devil's  oven  230 
Description  of  St.  Louis  240 
St.  Geneveive  233 
Herculaneum  236 
Discoverer  of  lead  mines  235 
Dormant  walls  236 
Desert  of  Louisiana  247 
Davidsonville  256 
Dwarf  skeletons                        284 

XLJast  India  &  Chinese  Com- 
pany 16 
Emigrations  to  Louisianacom- 

mence  19 

Extent  of  the  mines  26 

Elevation  of  country  32 

Epidemics  30 

Epochs,  historical  25 

Exports  43,  47 

Emery  44 

Explanatory  remarks  63 

Elliott's  mines  66,76,126 

Earthquake,  effects  of  76 

Error  corrected  77 

Experiments  78 

Expense  of  furnaces  94, 103 

Effects  of  heat  on  limestone  103 
Estimate  126 

Elias  Bates,  invention  by  139 
Enamels,  how  made  142 

Employments  of  the  inhabit- 
ants 171 
Emigrants,  character  of  172 
Effeminacy,  where  apparent  173 
Earthy  substances  177 
Rarth,  yellow  199 
English  ores  110 
Earthy  oxyd  of  lead  197 
Emigrants  230 
Extent  of  internal  navigation  242 
Extract  from  a  western  paper  269 


F 


aili're  of  the  Mississippi 

scheme  14 
First  lead  smelted  in  Louisiana  16 

Facility  of  raising  cattle  34 

Farming  38 

Ferries  42 

Fruit-trees  42 

Flour  exported  47 

Foundery,  seat  for  55 

Fredericktown  49 

First  settlement  in  Louisiana  25 

Fourche  a  Courtois              66,  127 

France  cedes  Louisiana  25 


Page 
Fusible  alloy  74 

Fluxes,  remarks  on    81,100,146 
Fusibility  of  basalt  83 

Folly  of  mineral  rods  92 

Furnaces,  account  of  94.98 

Fuel,  how  employed  96 

Fluor  spar,  where  found  101 

Flint  glass,  remarks  on  146 

Flint  180 

Ferruginous  quartz  185 

Feldspar  191 

Fluate  of  lime  ib. 

Fuller's  earth  203 

Franklin  steam-boat,how  sunk  224 
Falling-in  banks  225 

Falls,  ancient,  where  situated  229 
Fertile  tract  of  land  237 

Forks  of  White  River  252 


G, 


BANTtoCrozat  10 

to  the  Company  of  the 

West  11 

of  land  to  Renault    16.  17 
Gold  and  silver  9 

General  outline  of  the  mine 

ceuntry  26 

Gypsum  44,211 

Grist  mills  57 

General  Pike,  information  by    62 
Granular  quartz  50 

Gravelly  diggings  65, 127 

Gray's  mine  66,75,127 

Gravel  ore  69 

Glass-tiff  70 

Gold,  substance  mistaken  for    71 
Glass,  flint,  remarks  on  146 

German  crucible  clay  76 

Geological  character  92,  108, 119 
210,238 
German  ores  110 

General  deductions  128 

Gems,  artificial,  how  made  148 
Geographical  outline  of  Mis- 
souri 153 
Gasconade  River  163 
Geological  phenomenon  170 
Gun  flint  180 
Granular  quartz  185 
Galena  195 
Granular  sulphuret  of  lead  196 
Glass-house  pots,  remarks  on  201 
Graphite  209 
Greenstone  porphyry  213 
Gas,  inflammable  216 
Grand  Tower  229 
Great  muddy  River  ib. 
Geological  remark  238 
Government   of    Missouri, 

seat  of  240 

Gov.  Clark's  museum  241 

Great  North  Fork  of  White 

River  254 

Grand  Cut  Oft'  253 

Greenupsburgh  manganese      269 
Glass-soap,  its  uses  271 

Gems,  natural,  where  found    265 
Glasses,  antique  280 


H, 


istorical  sketch  of  the 

mines  9 

Horses,  facility  of  raising  34 

Herculaneum  46 

Historical  epochs  25 

Hops  44 

Hawkins'  Mine  65.  127 

Henry's  Diggings  66,  ib. 

Height  of  furnace  95 

Hands  engaged  in  mining  1 13 

Hunter  population  174 

Honours,    how    obtained  a- 

moBg  the  Osages  175 


Page 

Hospitality  characteristic  172 

Hornstone  181 

Hoary  quartz  189 

Heavy  spar  190 

Hematite  192 

Hydrogen  gas  216 

Harrisonville  237 

Hot  Springs  of  Washitaw  258 

Hot  Mountain  259 

Hamburgh  glasses  280 

1  ron  pyrites  70, 192 

Inflammable  gas  216 

Inhabitantsofthe  mines  39 

Internal  improvements  4l 

Indigo  42 

Iron  44 

mountain  54 

mines  57 

Information  by  lieut.  Pike  62 

Indians,  mines  worked  by  ib. 

Iceland  spar  70 

Illuminations  seen  76 
Ignorance  of  smelters,  where 

apparent  77 
Improvements  suggested  79 
Ingredients  of  glass            80,146 
Inspector  of  mines  1 32 
Infusible  clay  76 
Information  by  Chaptal  82 
Ingredients  of  limestone  102 
Imported  lead,  duty  on  129 
Improvement  in  casting  shot  139 
Illinois  River  161 
Indian  grave  on  the  Merri- 
mack 169 
Inflammable  substances  178 
Indian  pipe  stone  189 
Iron,  native  217 
argillaceous  oxyd  19a 
micaceous  oxyd  ib. 
brown  oxyd  192 
red  oxyd  195 
sand  ib. 
Indiana  magnesia  218 
buhrstone  216 
Illinois  fluor  spar  101 
opal  205 
lead  mines  195 
salt  works  207 
coal  211 
copper  198 
gypsum  211 
antimony  197 
Independence, how  celebrated  224 
Indian  meal,  new  property  of  234 
Increase  of  St.  Louis  240 
Inhabitants  of  White  River  249 
Information,  miscellaneous  258 

«J  efferson  county  58 
its    mineralogical 

character  ib. 

its  mines  59 

its  salt  works  ib. 

sulphur  springs  ib. 

manufactures  ib. 

representation  60 

Jones*  shaft  65,119 

J.  Scott's  Diggings  66 

Junk  bottles,  materials  for  80 

Jasper  2U6 

common  ib. 

striped  ib. 

Journal  of  a  voyage  221 

James  River    '  253 

soil  and  climate  ib. 

prairies  ib. 

game  ib. 

lead  Mines  S54 

J.  M.  Peck,  obser»ations  by  2E 9 


297 


KPage 
ASKASSIA.  15,233 

Klingsteia  87 

Kanzas  88,161 

Knowledge  of  minerals,where 

useful  91 

Kanhaway  salt  works  207 

Kentucky  hydrogen  gas  216 

manganese  269 

lead  mines  278 

coalmines  211 

Kaskaskia  River  233 

King's  River  252 

Kentucky  paper.extract  from  269 

.ILiouis  XVI.  cedes  Louisiana  10 

Laplatte  river  il>- 

Lead  smelted  by  Renault  16 

Lebaum's  mines           20,  66,  127 

Louisiana  becomes  a  state  21 

Lead  mines,  history  of  9 

Longevity,  an  instance  of  18 

Latitude  of  the  mines  33 

List  of  mines  worked  by  Spain  20 

wild  fruits  28 

wild  animals  36 

exports  43 

mines  57 

manufactures  ib. 

Lead  made  at  Potosi  49 

Lead  furnaces  in  Washington 

county  57 

Lead  mines  of  Prairie  Du  Chien  62 

Lafitte  and  Bronsheaux  61 

Lead  ore  67 

Lambert's  Diggings             66,  127 

Little  mines  ibid. 

La  Motte  ores  73 

Lava,  how  fused  83 

Length  of  the  Yellowstone  89 

Lead,  how  dug  90 

how  dressed  93 

how  smelted  ib. 

duty  on  129 

Log  furnace  94 

Localities  of  fl«or  spar  101 

Limestone  102 

Lead  diggers,  how  paid  r06 

made  at  Shibboleth  113 

shipped  from  Hercula- 

neum  120 

Litharge,  manufacture  of  136 

Language  of  the  inhabitants  171 

Loadstone  192 

Localities  of  Galena  195 

Lanesboro  sand  188 

Lime,  sulphate  of  211 

fluate  of  191 

carbonate  of  190 

Louisiana  iron  217 

Little  Chain  of  Rocks  226 

Little  Rock  Ferry  235 

Length  of  the  Missouri  242 

Yellowstone  ib. 

Mississippi  243 

Illinois  ib. 

White  River  248 

Louisianian  Desert  247 

Little  Red  River  256 

List  of  steam -boats  263 

Localities  of  Manganese  270 

Lead  mines  of  M  illersburg  278 


M, 


Lines  of  Missouri, history  of  9 

Mississippi  scheme,  failure  of  14 
Mine  a  Burton    18,20,48,65,77,126 
La  Motte  16,17,20,65,72,126 
Renault  16,20 

a  Robino  20,  65,  127 

a  Martin  20,  65,  80,  127 
Shibboleth  20,65,  116, 126 
a  Joe  20,  65, 127 

Moses  Austin,  Esq.  explores 

the  Mines  19 


Page 
Mine  sickness  30 

Manners  and  morals  39 

Madder  43 

Mineralogical  school  sugges- 
ted 23 
Manufactures                       43, 57 
Mauganese                          41,  199 
Marble  44  i 
Madansburgu  49 
Madison  county  75 
Murphey's  settlement  51 
Mill  seats  56 
Mine  country,  outline  of  26 
soil  of  27 
climate  of  33 
diseases  of  30 
quadrupeds  of    36 
birds  of  36 
streams  of  30 
roads  of  42 
towns  of  45 
religion  of  40 
Mines  of  Prairie  Du  Chien        62 
Mine  Astraddle                   65,  126 
Masson's  Diggings               65,  127 
Micheaux's  Diggings               ibid 
Moreau's  Diggings                  ibid 
Mine  Liberty                      65,  126 
Miller's  Mine  65 
Mine  Silvers                       55f  126 
McKane's  Mine            65,  80,  128 
Mineralogical     character  of 

mines  66 

Mineral  blossom  71 

Mammillary  quartz  ib. 

Marley  clay  68 

Material  for  bottles  80 

Method  of  working  the  mines    90 
Mason's  wages  94 

Minium,  how  made  135 

Massicot  137 

Metallic  buttons,  alloys  for      149 
Missouri  wine  158 

Territory  153 

situation,  boundaries 

and  extent  ib. 

soil,  climate,  &  pro- 
ductions 155 
rivers  &  mountains  160 
political  divisions  158 
population  159 
principal  towns  ib. 
mines  and  minerals  166 
antiquities  and  cu- 
riosities 169 
employments     and 

manners  171 

language  x  religion    ib. 
savages  175 

slavery  176 

mounds  169 

manufactures  172 

Mississippi  River  160 

Missouri  River  161 

Merrimack  River  164 

Mechanics,  where  wanted        172 
Metallic  substances  178 

Minerals,  catalogue  of  177 

Missouri  topaz  184 

Mica  190 

Magnet  190 

M  icaceous  oXyd  of  iron  1 93 

Madrepore  204 

Muriate  of  soda  207 

Magnesia,  sulphate  of  212 

Millstone  216 

Mouth  of  Ohio  221 

Mockason  Spring  229 

Mississippi  water,  how  clari- 
fied 234 
Military  posts  214 
Museum  at  St.  Louis  241 
Miscellaneous  information      258 


Page 

Medicinal  Spring  253 

Marietta  cup  276 

Millersburg  lead  mines  273 

Merrimack  bones  284 

Manufacture  of  white  lead  135 

red  lead  ib- 

litharge  13G 

massicot  137 

Naples  yellow  ib. 

chromat  of  lead  ib. 
patent  mineral  yellow  ib. 

shot  and  bullets  138 

pewter  139 

sheet  lead  140 

solders  il>. 

printer's  types  141 

pot  metal  ib- 

potter's  glazing  ib. 

enamels  112 

flint  glass  1 46 

artificial  gems  148 

sugar  of  lead  ib. 

metallic  buttons  149 

sheet  lead  boxes  ib. 

weights  &  measures  ib. 

toys  and  castings  ib. 

lS  ew  Diggings     20,  65,  74,  12T 

Nitre  44 

New-York  canal  4* 

antiquities  280 

New-Orleans  founded  25 

New-Bourbon  49 

Number  of  lead  mines  57 

lead  furnaces  ib. 

grist  mills  ib. 

saw  mills  ib. 

distilleries  ib. 

saltpetre  caves  ib. 

iron  mines  ib. 

hands  engaged  in 

mining  113 

Natural  phenomenon  76 

New  application  of  bassalt  82 

Notice  of  geological  structure  92 

New  locality  of  tluor  spar  107 

Naples  yellow,  how  made  137 

New  invention  by  E.  Bates  133 

Nitre  caves  170 

Negroes,  their  condition  176 

Novaculite  183 

Native  magnet  192 

copper  198 

■vitriol  209 

iron  217 

white  lead  198 

Nitrate  of  potash  20* 

New-York  plank  226 

Nocturnal  adventure  238 

Navigation  contemplated  243 

North  West  Territory  214 

Natural  canal  253 


o 


age  Indians  175 

Ox  yd  of  iron  195 

common  argillaceous  193 

micaceous  ib. 

brown  192 

Opalized  wood  200 

Opal  205 

Ochre  21 4 

Onyx  215 

Ohio  clay  201 

coal  mines  211 

salt  works  207 

iron  founderies  193 

Olean  boards  and  plank  226 

Obrazo  River  230 

Ocaw  River  233 

Old  soldier  235 

Outline  of  St.  Louis  240 

Ouachitta,  hot  springs  of         258 

On  the  uses  of  manganese.  269 


298 


Page 
Oxygen  gas,  how  procured  269 
Observations  by  lt.l'ettibone 

Esq.  286 

Observations  by  Rev.  J.  M. 

Peek  289 

Old  mines  20,  66,  126 

Piora  16 

Origin  of  the  western  company  10 

Occupation  of  Louisiana  by 

the  United  States  CO 

Outline  of  the  mine  country      26 

Missouri  territury  153 

Oil  stones  44 

Of  the  different  mmeSjOres, kc.  64 

Ores  of  lead  67 

zinc  69 

iron  54 

manganese  ib. 

Observations  on  glass  bottles     81 

Ores,  how  raised  90 

how  dressed  93 

how  smelted  ib. 

Orleans  founded  25 

Operation  of  smelting  104 

Oxyd  of  lead,  how  formed        1 1 1 

On  the  uses  of  lead  134 

Ohio  River  161 

Osage  River  162 

1  hilif  Francis  Renault  14 
Present  state  of  the  mines  21 
Picturesque  scenery  31 

Phenomenon  in  vegetation  29 
Parakeet  37 

Principal  towns  45 

Potosi  48 

Pig  and  bar  lead  exported  47 

Patent  shot  manufactured  ib. 
Plumbago  44, 209 

Pumice  ib.    88 

Powder-mill  57 

Pike,  lieut.  information  by  62 
Prairie  Du  Chien  62,  244 

Principal  iron  mines  57 

Progress  of  discovery  64 

Perry's  Diggings  65,  126 

Paper  sand  67 

Psuedo-galena  69 

Pratt's  mine  66,  127 

Pyrites  mistaken  for  gold  71 

Phenomenon,  natural  76 

Produceof  ore  96,109 

Price  of  lead  106 

Produceof  the  mines  113 

Pig  k  bar  lead,  amount  made  122 
Patent  mineral  yellow  137 

Pewter,  manufacture  of  139 

Printer's  type,  composition  of  111 
Pot  metal  ib. 

Polter'H  glazing  ib. 

Pumice  212 

Porphyry  213 

Planters  223 

Prevalent  opinion  234 

Picture  of  St.  Louis  240 

Prices  of  merchandise  250 

Pine  River  254 

mistake  respecting 255 
Prices  of  freight  264 

Precious  stones  of  Missouri  265 
pork  ib 

Process  for  making  enamels  143 
Population  of  Missouri  159 

Prevalence  of  duelling  173 

Plundering,where  honourable  175 
Pipestone  189 

Pyrites  192 

Plastic  white  clay  200 

Pittsburgh  glass-sand  188 

coal  209 

Pennsylvania  iron  furnaces     193 


Page 

Puddiugstone  205 

Potash,  nitrate  of  £08 

Precious  opal  205 

Properties  of  fuller's  earth      203 

VgeAnnuPEDS,  list  of  26 

Quantity  oi'lead  made  at  Potosi  44 
Quality  of  Bellevue  iron  54 

Quantity  of  lead  made  atShib- 

boleth  116 

shipped  from  Hercu- 
laneum  120 

Qualifications    requisite   for 

an  agent  132 

Quartz  71 

common  183 

radiated  184 

yellow  ib. 

red  ferruginous  185 

granular  ib. 

tabular  188 

huary  1«9 

IXage  for  adventures  9 

Renault's  mines        20,  66,  75,  126 
Retrocession  of  Louisiana  by 

the  India  company  17 

Religion  40,  171 

Roads  42 

Red  chalk  44 

Representatives  from  St.  Ge- 
nevieve co.    51 
Washington  co.     57 
Madison  58 

Jefferson  60 

River  St.  Francis  58 

Rosebury's  mine  65,  127 

Rocky  diggings  ibid 

Rhombic  spar  70 

Radiated  quartz  71 

Refractory  clay  76 

Remarkable  phenomenon         ib. 
Result  of  experiments  78 

Remarks  on  basalts  82 

Rock  formations  92,  108 

Refining  of  lead  111 

Rationale  of  cupellation  ib. 

Receipts  of  lead  at  Hercula- 

neura  122 

Richwoods  126 

Red  lead,  manufacture  of         135 
Rent  of  mines  131 

Receipt  for  Potter's  enamel    143 
Remarks  on  glazing  I4I 

Rivers  and  mountains  of  Mis- 
souri 160 
River  Mississippi  ib. 
Missouri                         161 
Ohio                                  ib. 
Illinois                            ib. 
Osage                                  162 
Gasconade                       163 
Merrimack                     184 
St.  Francis                      165 
Black                               ib. 
White                             246 
Religious  societies                   174 
Retrogression  of  society,  an 

instance  of  ib. 

Robbery,  how  encouraged       175 
Rock  crystal  182 

Radiated  quartz  184 

Red  ferruginoas  quartz  185 

Red  oxyd  of  iron  195 

Reddle  199 

Rock  salt,  where  found  208 

Remarks  218 

Review  of  St.  Louis  240 

Rates  of  exchange  250 

Remarks  on  thejuse  of  man- 
ganese 270 


R«licS  of  antiquity*  276,  280 

R.  Pettibone,  Esq.  observa- 
tions by  286 


s, 


t.  Louis  240 
Sketch  of  the  life  of  Burton        18 

Shot  tower  erected  13 
Spain  acquires  possession  of 

Louisiana  17 
Streams  of  mine  tract  30 
Savage  art  in  dying  30 
Sensitive  brier  29 
Schools  40 
Slavery  ib. 
St  Genevieve  45 
Salt  ib. 
Serpentine  ib. 
Soapstone  44,  183 
St  Genevieve  county  50 
Salt  Lick  54 
St.  Michael  49 
Salt  works  50 
Society  at  the  mines  3S 
Seats  for  water  works  55 
Salt  petre  caves  57,  208 
Saw  mills  5T 
Sacs  and  Foxes,  mines  work- 
ed by  62 
Sulphur  springs  59 
Steam  distillery  57 
Silicious  sand  50 
Strickliu's  Diggings  65,128 
Scott's  Diggings  ib.  127 
Substances     accompanying 

the  ore  17 

Sulphuretof  lead  69 

Situation  of  mines  65 

Sulphur,  elects  of  74 

Sublimate  of  lead  77 

Saving  suggested  79 

Steel-grained  ore  80 

Slag,  uses  of  ib. 

Signs  attended  to  91 

Size  of  furnaces  94 
Smelting  of  lead             93,97,104 

Silver  in  lead  110 

Shot  manufactured  125 

Superiutendant  of  mines  131 

his  duty  ib. 

his  qualifications  132 
Stealing,  how  encouraged        175 

Saline  substances  178 

Steatite  189 

Sulphate  of  barytes  70,190 

Spar,  calcareous  ib. 

fluor  191 

Sulphuretof  lead  196 

common  ib. 

granular  196 

Sulphuret  of  zinc  19? 

Sulphuretof  antimony  ib. 

Stalactite  204 

Stalagmite  ib.. 

Striped  Jasper  206 

Sulphur  207 

Soda,  muriate  of  ib. 

Saltpetre  208 

Sulphate  of  zinc  209 

copper  ib. 

lime  211 

magnesia  212 
Sibley's  account  of  gypsum      211 

Scenery  on  the  Arkansaw  ib. 

Schorl  21* 

Shale  215 

Sawyers  and  snags  223 
Scenery  of  the  Mississippi  227, 
229j 230,231 

Situation  of  ancient  falls  229 

Sketch  of  the  Merrimack  £3'.< 


V 


299 


Page 
Singular  appearances  of  the 

country  239 

Situation  of  St.  Louis  240 

Soil  on  White  River  £49 

Streams  of  White  River  252 

Springs  of  Washitaw  258 

Steam-boats  on  the  Missis- 
sippi 263 
Stone  axes,  (antique)  170 
Series  of  lead  receipts  122 
System  of  mining  suggested  131 
Shot,  how  made  138 
Sheet  lead,  manufacture  of  1 40 
Solders  ib 
Sugar  of  lead  148 
Sheet  lead  boxes,  manufac- 
ture of  149 
Soil  &  climate  of  Missouri  155 
Salt  River  165 
St.  Francis  Rner  ib 
Saltpetre  caves  170 
Society  west  of  theMississippi  172 
Savages  of  Missouri  175 
Shawanee  Indians  176 
Slavery  ib. 
Singular  facts  respecting  the 

Osages  ib. 

Silver  cup  276 


Tc 


owns  of  the  mine  coun- 
try 45 
Tobacco                              44, 265 
Trees,  indiginous                       28 
Travellers  deceived  48 
Town  of  St.  Louis                    240 
St.  Genevieve  45 
Franklin                        160 
St  Charles                   ib. 
Herculaneum               46 
Potosi                           48 
St.  Michael  49 
Caladonia                      ib. 
New-Bourbon              ib 
Carondelet                 239 
Cahokia                       240 
Kaskaskia                    150 
Cape  Girardeau          227 
Chariton                      160 
Tcbault's  Diggings              65,127 
T.  Scott's  Diggings                    65 
Tapley's  Diggings              65,127 
Tiff                                             70 
Trade  of  Herculaneum              47 
Torrefaction  recommended       74 
Tahong  River                              89 
Tools  used  in  mining                  90 
Traits  of  geology  92,  108, 119,  210 

238 
Theory  of  cupellation  1 1 1 

Total  amount  of  lead  annually 

made  121' 

Toy3,castings,Sic  how  formed  I49 
Tribes  of  Indians  in  Missouri  175 
Tradesmen,  where  wanted  172 
Topaz,  western  184 


Page 
Tabular  quartz  188 

Touchstone  2 12 

Tyawapety  bottom  225 

Trade  of  St  Louis  24O 

Tributaries  of  the  Missouri  242 
Mississippi  243 
Topography  of  White  River  246 
Transparency  of  White  River  218 
Trade  of  White  River  250 

Three  forks  of  White  River  252 
Tributaries  of  White  River  ib. 
Temperature   of    the    Hot 

springs  260 

Trade  of  the  Western  coun- 
try 264 
Taffia  265 


u, 


nion    of   the  Western  & 

India  company  16 

United  S.  territory  ceded  to  25 

Uses  of  lead  134 

barytes  70 

quartz  72 

iron  pyrites  70 

Unmagnetical  pyrites  58 

Uses  of  slag  60 

basalt  82 

United  States,  lead  made  by  128 

•  'ses  of  manganese  269 

Utica  paper,  extract  from  280 


V, 


Ewof  St.  Louis  240 

Vete-pouche  ib. 

Vegetable  phenomenon  29 

productions         28, 34 

Viewof  St.  Genevieve co.  50 

Washington  co.  51 

Madison  co.  57 

Jefferson  co.  58 

Vulgar    opinion    respecting 

gold  71 

Volcanic  products  82,  212 

Valley  of  the  Yellowstone  89 
Vitrescent  mixtures  80,  140,  186 
Vermont  emigrants  235 

Vitriol,  native  209 

Virginia  buhrstone  216 

lead  mines  195 

coal  mines  211 

Voyage  up  the  Mississippi  221 
Views  on  the  Mississippi  227,  231 
Vapour,  its  effects  260 


Wr 


eather  at  the  mines         33 
Whiskey  exported  47,  265 

Washington  county  51 

Water  works,  seats  for  55 

White  sand  50 

Wild  quadrupeds  36 

fruits  28 

Washington  mines,  mills,  &c.  57 
Wood  ashes,  composition  of  82 
Working  the  mines,  account  of  90 
Wages  of  masons  94 

Wood,  how  employed  96 


Page 
Want  of  information,  effects 

of  93 

Washing  of  lead  ashes  97 
Want  of  durability  in  furnaces  103 

Worth  of  lead  10C 

Ware-houses  121 
Whole  quantity  of  lead  made 

by  United  States  128 

White  lead,  how  made  135 
Weights  and  measures,  alloys 

of  149 
Wine  of  Missouri  168 
Western  rivers,  fact  respect- 
ing 162 
Winter  in  Missouri  33 
War  Eagle  Fork  252 
Waterbolt  River  ib. 
Washitaw  hot  springs  258 
it:  minerals  261 
Warm  water,  property  of  ib. 
Western  paper,  extract  from  269 
Wheat  265 
Western  antiquities,         280,  284. 
Water  communications  243 
Want  of  Mechanics  172 
Western  minerals  179 
White  lead,  native  198 
Wood,  opalized  200 
agatized  207 
White  clay  200 
vitriol  209 
Weythe  county  lead  mines  195 
Waters  of  theMississippi  £34 
Watering  place  238 
Western  capital  240 
White  River  246 
its  geographical  position  ib. 
its  magnitude  247 
its  sources  &  character  248 
vegetable  productions  ib. 
its  transparency  ib. 
soil  249 
inhabitants  ib. 
trade  250 
minerals  251 
its  tributaries  252 
James  River  ib. 
Buffaloe  Fork  254 
G  reat  N  orth  Fork  ib. 
Black  River  25.r, 
Little  Red  River  256 


JL    F.LLOWSTONE 

River           88 

Yellow,  patent  mineral 

Naples 

ib- 

chromic 

ib- 

Yellow  quartz 

184 

earth 

199 

ZilNC 

44 

sulphuret  of 

56,69,197 

sulphate  of 

209 

Zane 

105 

Zanesville  clay 

201 

<'oal 

211 

FINIS. 


38 


I 


